Blood Moon
by WhimsyWren
Summary: Allies are needed in the fight against the Dark Lord Voldemort. A Clan of Celts with a secret and a tie to the Ancient Religion is here to answer the call... but where does Harry Potter fit into all this?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey all! This is my first story so be kind, though constructive criticism would be well appreciated!**

**Disclaimer: Only in dreams would I even **_**think**_** of owning Harry Potter!**

**Note: Gaelic speech is in bold.**

**Note #2: this takes place during 6****th**** year. Now, as I don't remember exactly what happened, things will be changed. They were going to be anyways, but there might be big changes just because I don't remember things. I'm just warning you all!**

_Chapter One_

Humans will always fear what they do not understand, creating stories of horror to keep other humans away from what is they want to protect themselves from, whether there is true cause for fear or not. It will always be this way.

A young teen with startling verdant eyes and wild black hair stood upon an abandoned hill, musing upon this notion. His bare chest was lightly tanned, well proportioned and muscled finely. Upon his waist was wrapped a kilt, its dark green patterns lightened by the late evening's sun. Dark tattoos of knots wrapped his arms thinly in a brand, marking his clan.

"Tráthnóna maith Faolán." (Good evening, 'fway lawn'.)

The black haired teen turned to find the approaching figure of a large auburn haired man. He too wore a dark green kilt with the same knotted tattoo around his arms. Unlike the black haired teen, however, his neck was adorned by an open gold torc around his broad neck. Though the blacked haired teen was tall at 6'3", this man still stood taller at the height of 6'6".

Dropping to a knee, the black haired teen, identified by the name Faolán, bowed his head and pressed a fist against his chest. He uttered a respectful, "Cathal," ('Ka hal') before waiting for the command to rise.

The auburn haired man, Cathal, was silent before he ordered the other to stand. He smiled at the younger male before speaking. "**You have grown much since the time you first came to us and become one with our clan, with our pack. With each new passing of the seasons, your kin and I watched as you grew from but a cub into a strong warrior, blessed by the Mother. Now, it is time for your Rite of Passage. Tonight marks your day of birth, along with the night of the Full Moon. Not of coincidence, the Mother celebrates along with us that one of her Children has approached his manhood. Come, young one, the others await our arrival at the Sacred Stone Circle.**"

The two males made their way down the hill, making their way towards a grove of trees, with a large stone circle nestled inside. As they walked, the sun slowly sank below the surrounding hills, bathing the world in a reddish hue. The sky slowly darkened as they entered the Circle, a large bonfire roaring in its heart. Men, women, and children gathered in the circle, though they parted when Cathal and Faolán approached. Standing near the bonfire, Cathal turned to Faolán with a stern and demanding face. Faolán stood his ground, though he did not challenge the elder, always remembering what was expected of him. Cathal was the leader. Faolán could be proud, but his place was below Cathal's.

The Full Moon rose slowly into the sky, creating unrest among the gathered. After moments of silence, Cathal addressed those gathered in the Ancient Circle. "**My brethren, tonight we are gathered for a joyous event. One of our own has reached his manhood. Tonight is a solemn occasion, but also for celebration. With his Passage Rites, he will be forever changed. Let the sacred Ritual begin.**"

The bonfire immediately flared, and the gathered were deathly silent. The Ritual had begun and magic was thick in the air.

"**Who stands before the Moon?**" Cathal spoke.

"**I, Faolán, stand before the Mother for her Blessing.**" Faolán answered.

"**Who are you to ask for the Blessing of the great Mother?**" Cathal was demanding.

"**It is I, who has succeeded in my first Hunt, who is no longer a cub.**" Faolán would answer.

"**Who are you to say that your Hunt is worthy of the Mother's gaze?**" They were ritual words.

"**I belong to those who are the Mother's Warriors; with my Hunt I kept my Oath.**" It was the ritual response, but the absolute truth in his words.

"**Well met, young Warrior. Receive the token of your victory.**" A man stepped away from the gathered, a bronze torc resting in his hands. Cathal took the torc gently into his hands and offered it to Faolán with a proud smile. "**You bring your kin much pride, young Warrior, Faolán Convel of the ****Filtiarn Clan****.**"

Faolán took the torc into his hands and caressed the bronze gently before placing it around his neck. A surge of power rushed through him and, throwing his head back, he let loose a primal howl towards the Full Moon. One by one many voices joined his, combining with his to create a loud cry of joy towards the pregnant moon hanging high in the sky. Now was the time for celebration!

Many of the men, bronze torcs upon their necks, gathered around the new Warrior, feral grins upon their faces. It was time for a Hunt, to welcome the once cub into manhood. Above in the dark sky the Moon was bright with blessing upon her Children.

-Hogwarts – September 1st-

Harry sat between Hermione and Ron in the Great Hall. The trio was happily chatting, catching up after being away from each other all summer.

"Where were you, Harry? You didn't come to you-know-where at all."

Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron's remark, but kept silent, wanting to know the answer as well. Harry smiled easily. "I was away with friends in Ireland. I did have Dumbledore's approval, of course. I was perfectly same."

Hermione blinked. "Not to sound rude, Harry, but I thought you didn't have any friends outside Hogwarts. You know, with Dudley and all."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I've known them all my life. They are like my family really. I never told you about them because you never asked. I'm sure you have back home, Hermione."

Hermione looked abashed. "Sorry, Harry, for jumping to conclusions."

Harry grinned. "Nah, it's alright." He, then, grew serious. "I'll need to talk to you guys later in private, away from prying ears."

The two nodded and then went about nagging Harry for details about his summer and about his friends. Harry was amused and carefully gave as little information away as he possibly could, knowing that it was annoying Ron and Hermione.

Soon enough, Dumbledore stood up. Harry frowned at the appearance of a black shriveled hand that Dumbledore had failed to conceal for a split second. What had happened to the Headmaster for a curse like _that_ to occur? Setting aside that thought for the moment, Harry concentrated on Dumbledore's speech. "I would like to introduce an old friend of mine, the new Potion's Master, Professor Slughorn. Please give him a warm welcome!"

There was a spattering of applause as an overweight man hauled himself to his feet and waved jovially at the students. Hermione had a frown on her face, however. "Potion's Master? What about Professor Snape, then?"

Harry looked over towards the greasy haired man that sat stiffly in his seat. "It looks like Snape has gotten what he wanted, the Defense position. He looks downright smug."

And so the man did. There was a smug smirk playing about his lips, much different from the dark scowl that usually adorned his face. Harry snorted. "Well, this year will prove to be interesting." He grinned. "I'm sure of it."

Ron gave him an odd look. "How can you be _happy_ that _Snape_ of all people will be teaching us Defense? He'll probably try to teach us Dark Arts instead!"

Harry rolled his eyes as Hermione watched on. "I'm probably just as excited as you are, Ron, that Snape will be taking the Defense position. But, it is for other reasons that I am sure that this year will be interesting. Call it a feeling, but it's rarely wrong."

The trio fell silent as Dumbledore continued speaking. Harry only half paid attention as his mind wandered. He thought back on the summer he had spent with his friends, his family. Where the Dursleys had mistreated him and ignored him, they had become his true family. Raising him and preparing him, he had come to Hogwarts already knowing of magic, a fact he kept from the wizards at Hogwarts. It was there that he was loved and he felt like he had a worth. It was home and the place he would return to after he left Hogwarts for good, and Voldemort was brought to his knees and finally killed.

That was his home, not Hogwarts like he told Hermione and Ron. It was home with its lush rolling hills, the rocky cliffs, and the thick mist that hung in the air during early mornings or rainy days. It was home with its magic saturated sites and breathtaking ambience. It was _home_ plain and simple.

He was shaken from his thoughts by a touch on his shoulder. Blinking, he turned his head to see Ron trying to get his attention. "You alright there, Harry? The Feast is over, we gunna go back to the dorms now."

Harry grinned. "Sure, I'm all good." The trio then proceeded to make their way up to the Gryffindor common room, Ron and Hermione guiding all of the first years. When they reached the portrait, it was Ron who spoke the new password for the year. "Wolfsbane."

Harry grimaced at the thought of the poisonous plant, but made his way into the common room ignoring any strange looks that he received. He made himself comfortable stretched out on the floor in front of the fireplace as Hermione explained the rules to the little first years. Harry grinned at the little ones. They were so tiny and frail looking. Were they ever that small when they were that age? Ah, probably. He knew cubs as little or littler.

Standing, he moved over to the window as the 1st years started making their way to their dorms. Staring out into the sky he stared into the face of the full moon. It was then that he felt a presence approach him followed by another. He didn't turn away, knowing that it was Ron and Hermione who was approaching him. It was Ron who spoke, however. "It's a full moon tonight. I wonder how Lupin's doing. Being a werewolf must be hard on him. I couldn't imagine being a wolf."

Harry frowned. "Moony is controlled by the moon's whim. If he learned to accept the wolf, I'm sure it would be much different from him."

Hermione, ever the scholar, asked a question about Harry's statement. "What do you mean by that, Harry?"

"Remus isn't the only werewolf I know. I've learned that those who accept the wolf as a part of themselves are much healthier."

Hermione looked slightly panicked. "Accept the wolf!? What are you talking about, Harry!? Those who do that become much more bloodthirsty, don't they? I mean, that's what the werewolves in You-Know-Who's army are like! They are more wolf than human now!"

Harry scowled. "Don't think like that, Hermione. Those aren't true werewolves. They have fallen prey to the dark and it has corrupted them. They are blood thirsty monsters, not true werewolves." He sighed and ran a restless hand through his long hair. "I'm sorry. I'm more agitated than is usual." He paused. "I'll talk to you later; I need to take a walk to cool my head."

Harry turned to look at them and Hermione held back a gasp. When he had turned to them, she thought his eyes were glowing gold. But maybe she was wrong; they were their normal emerald after all. She shook her head. She had only imagined it; it had been a trick of the firelight.

As Harry walked to the portrait entrance and pushed it open, Hermione spoke. "Be careful not to get caught, Harry!"

Harry grinned. "As if anyone could catch me." With that, he disappeared into the darkness of the corridor.

_End chapter_

**So what you all think of the idea? Please read and review! It is very much appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey all! I changed my name from CelticWolvenMoon just so you all know! And I apologize for taking so long to get chapter two written! To tell the truth, I had forgotten that I was even writing a story. Sorry guys! I'll try to be better about it!**

**Disclaimer: I only own the idea behind this story and everything else that you recognize is not mine. Unfortunately. I wish I could make money off of writing a best seller… But alas, that is far off in the future. I am reduced to writing fanfiction for the pure amusement of others. I hope you enjoy it!**

**Note: Gaelic speech is in bold.**

**Oh, and warning: There will be some slight Ron-bashing. Sorry, can't help myself.**

_Chapter two_

"Did you see how much he's changed?"

There was a sigh of exasperation. "Yes, Ron. I did indeed notice."

"He's taller than me!" This was said in a whiny voice. If one were to be listening in, they could swear that they could practically _hear_ the pout on the speaker's face.

There was another sigh. "Yes, Ron. And he's filled out as well. But he's been living in Ireland all summer. From the look of the calluses on his fingers, he's been doing a lot of physical work. That would account for the larger muscles." It was a no-nonsense, matter-of-fact voice.

"But he's always been so _small_. It's not fair that he's all… muscle-y!" The voice wasn't giving up and was still whiney.

The other voice still sounded exasperated. "Well maybe if you didn't sit around all day gorging yourself, you could build up your muscles as well." There was a pause. "You're so lazy, Ron!"

"Geez, Mione… Ya don't have to get your knickers in a bunch. Yah at that time of the month?" The first voice grumbled.

The second voice, noticeably feminine, screeched out in anger. "You're so tactless, Ron!" There was the loud sound of a door slamming.

"Geez… I only asked a question."

(((Page Break)))

"I can't believe she's making us go to that stupid class! Even if Snape is gone, it's still a horrible class! And even if Slughorn is Dumbledore's friend, he's still a _Slytherin…_"

Harry had tuned out Ron about the moment the boy had opened his mouth. He didn't think that Ron would notice. And he hadn't. Harry was finding that Ron was very shallow. He had once hoped that Ron would grow out of it, but he hadn't. "Ron. That's enough, alright?" Harry spoke tiredly, finally having enough.

But Ron gaped at him only briefly before going off on a tirade. "I thought you would agree on this with me, Harry! I…!"

Harry quickly cut him off. "Ron! We may still be teens, but we are growing up! You need to act more mature because I cannot put up with you childish behavior any longer!" He continued walking, entering into the Potion's classroom as Ron stopped in his tracks. His mouth was wide open as he gaped at his retreating back. Harry didn't care. Ron's eyes needed to open. Gathering a potion's book from the cupboard as directed by Slughorn, he then sat down next to Hermione.

"Alright, class! Who can tell me what this potion is?" Slughorn was smiling happily as he showed one of the potions he had sitting on his desk. It looked as if he had already gone through the other ones already.

Harry's sensitive nose was hit by several different scents. Frowning, he raised his hand. It was such a vile concoction…

"Ah, yes! Mr. Potter! You can tell what this is?" Slughorn looked positively giddy.

Harry pulled a face. "Amortentia. It is the most powerful love potion in the world and is characterized by its smell. Every person smells something different, always reminding them what it is they love most."

Slughorn beamed. "Very good, Mr. Potter! Ten points to Gryffindor! To let the others get an idea… why don't you tell us what you smell?" He looked eager.

Harry was pretty sure that the man had other intentions… But it wouldn't hurt anything. Sighing, he breathed in deeply before closing his eyes with a faint smile playing about his lips. "I smell… the mists of the Irish countryside. It is a sweet smell, but also musky. I smell stone and the timeless magic that is contained within its ancient structures. And I smell… Moonrose." He also smelled the ingredients of the potion, just lying beneath. But he wasn't going to say that.

"Moonrose, Mr. Potter? How interesting… Such a rare rose that only wizards and magical kind know about. It only blooms when there is a Full Moon and then only in certain spots as well…" He trailed off before brightening. "Yes, right! Let's move on!"

Harry sat back and read through the potion they were making that day. Glancing up at one point, he spotted Hermione's face. She looked like she wanted to ask him a question. Rolling his eyes, Harry rested his elbows on the table in front of him. "In the… village I lived, an old potion's master taught the children. I liked to sit in on his lessons occasionally, or I would talk to him when we were both free, I'm talented in other things, but the subject is interesting." He muttered before turning to the potion they were supposed to be making. Then, in the end, Harry managed to win the Felix Felicis that had been the prize. He had then stuck the potion into his pocket, not caring either way.

(((Page Break)))

As the days passed, Harry noticed that there was something different about Malfoy. He had taken to watching him, much to Hermione's chagrin. (Ron wasn't talking to him.) But Harry ignored her and continued to watch the blonde haired boy. He found that the Slytherin seemed skittish and secretive. He barely insulted others around him and grew a little more drawn with each passing day. Harry began to have his suspicions after awhile of observation. So, one day he followed after him and cornered him in a bathroom. After making sure that there was no one else there, Harry locked the door with a small click.

Immediately, Malfoy spun in surprise before glaring at Harry. "What's this, Potter? Coming to get your revenge? Where are your lackeys?" He sneered, trying to be the cold aristocratic that he usually was. But the effect was lost as the Pureblood seemed almost sickly.

Saying nothing, Harry took steps closer to the boy. Malfoy backed up quickly and pulled his wand from his robes. "B..Back off, Potter! What do you think you are doing?" He stammered, eyeing Harry cautiously. But the larger of the two said nothing and only continued to walk forward until he had cornered Malfoy against the wall. He then plucked the boy's wand from his hand and threw it away into a corner. The blonde Slytherin narrowed his eyes, though there was a wild look to him. "What was that for? Resorting to Muggle fighting now, Potter?" He spat, but still Harry said nothing. Then suddenly, he struck, grabbing onto Malfoy's left arm and tearing away the sleeve.

Malfoy stilled completely in horror before he began to struggle. "No, stop!" But Harry was much stronger and held Malfoy's arm in an iron grasp. Frowning, he brought Malfoy closer to inspect the boy's forearm. Sighing, he then dropped the trembling arm and took a step away. "It's not healing the way it should be…" He whispered before sighing again and running his hands through his hair. Frowning, he then looked up at Malfoy. The boy was looking at his rival in confusion and a bit of fear. "When, Malfoy?"

This seemed to snap Malfoy out of his daze. "No! Get out, Potter! And don't speak a word of this to anyone!" He snarled, his eyes darting over to where Harry had throw the wand he had snatched from him. Rolling his eyes, Harry moved closer again and placed his hands on either side of the boy's head. He was a good head taller now, very tall for his sixteen years. And he had broad shoulders as well so he completely dwarfed the boy beneath him. "No. I am going to help you." He whispered, though there was a note of warning in his voice. "You will listen to me, little one."

Malfoy bristled at the term. "I'm not little!"

Harry narrowed his eyes and growled warningly. Immediately, a look of recognition and fear passed through Malfoy's eyes and he cowered slightly. Bowing his head, he said nothing. Pleased by the reaction, Harry relaxed and reached out to run his fingers through the boy's hair. "I'm only a few months older than you, yes. But I have a higher standing, little one. In our laws, it means much more." He whispered before bending his head to gently nuzzle Malfoy. "I will teach you. But you have to trust me." He smiled slightly before gently lifting Malfoy's chin. The boy did not look directly in his eyes. "Good. You are learning already… Listen to your instincts, Draco." He then nuzzled the boy's cheek before stepping away. "I will give you time to think this all over… I will see you again, later, alright?" He smiled before turning and making his way out the door.

Malfoy was left behind, staring at Harry's back with a confused look in his eyes. Going over to his wand, he picked it up before repairing his sleeve. Leaving the bathroom, he made his way back to the Slytherin Common Room. He then made his way up to his room. He had a lot to think about…

Harry too had a lot to think about, going to the Room of Requirement to pass the time. It was nearly nightfall, but he was in no hurry to return to the dormitory. Besides, the next day was a Saturday so he could get away with not as much sleep. Entering into the Room, he found it to look not like a castle chamber, but a small wood hut instead with a roaring fire in the hearth. Ah, the wonders of magic… Chuckling to himself, Harry walked over to the window in one of the walls. It was such a familiar place… Looking out into the night he then smiled up towards the waxing moon. Harry then offered up a small prayer to the Goddess, offering praise.

While living with the village in Ireland, he had begun to learn the Old Religion from them. From the near dawn of humanity it had been celebrated and now it continued on in many forms. The Rites that they practiced were passed down through the generations and adapted. But much of it remained the same. Harry knew that the Purebloods practiced the Old Religion. At least, they practiced their variation of it and it was only the older families who did. They were the ones who did not follow Voldemort as it was the newer Pureblood families that followed him. Not that they would consider themselves "newer". Some had been around for hundreds of years, but they were still considered to be "new" as they were newer than the families who had been around for perhaps thousands of years. Some of these Old families had died out, but there were several lines that remain. The Potters. The Notts. The Zabinis. The Malfoys. The Blacks. There were others as well, but those were the most prominent.

Pulling away from the window, Harry went over to a fur covered bed in the corner. Lying down, he cuddled up before pulling the furs around him with a smile. It wasn't exactly the same, but it was similar enough. Closing his eyes, he relaxed and drifted off into thought.

When he was only two years old, his Aunt Petunia had abandoned him in the park. He suspected that it had been partially accidental, though it was her fault for not paying better attention to him. She had brought his cousin out to play and had no choice but to bring him along as well. So, he had been stuck on his own and told not to wander off. But then she had left him there… When night fell, he had wandered off into the forest that was at the edge of the park. It was there that he had gotten lost. In a burst of accidental magic in his panic at wanting to be safe, Harry had been transported into the middle of a village. An old woman who had heard the commotion found him and quickly ushered him inside to take care of him. He ended up adopted by her and became a member of the people.

However, when he turned eleven, they knew that he was needed at Hogwarts. He hadn't wanted to at first, but then his destiny was explained to him. He had to go because Voldemort was still on the loose even if most wizards foolishly believed that the evil man had disappeared. So, he had placed back at the Dursley's under the threats from the village Council. Dumbledore was to never know that he had not grown up at his relatives' house. They didn't trust the old man very much and didn't want their secret getting out. So instead, Harry had told the man that he had an old friend from childhood. On summer vacation, he went back to his home under the guise of visiting his old friend. Thankfully, they were able to work it out so Dumbledore still didn't know where he was every vacation. Not that the man hadn't tried…

Snorting, Harry sat up on the cot and stretched out. It was a good night for a walk… Why should he stay cooped up indoors? Grinning to himself, he climbed off the cot and made his way out of the Room of Requirement.

(((Page Break)))

The cold of October was setting in… Harry wished he could spend the time at the village as it was always a wonderful time of year. He had already missed the Equinox activities and the Full Moon Rite. He really hated missing more, but it was always like this when he went to Hogwarts. He had learned to make do with what he had, but it was always alone. But perhaps he would try to get together with the Old family Purebloods on Samhain. He had heard something of the sort went on… Humming to himself, Harry changed into some clothes before walking down into the common room. Hermione smiled at him. "Hey, Harry! Do you want to go with me to Hogsmeade?" She was pulling on her coat, preferring to go in Muggle clothing.

Shrugging, Harry nodded. "Sure, why not? Let me just grab my cloak." He grinned before returning to the dormitory to dig a cloak out of his trunk. Tucked into boots that he had been given by his adopted grandmother, Harry wore black pants with a cream coloured tunic like shirt over it. It was a modified version of their traditional clothes. It was over this that Harry settled his cloak over his shoulders. It was a dark green and fastened over the shoulder with a gold brooch. Touching it with a smile, Harry then made his way down into the common room as he pulled his hair back into a low ponytail. It had been growing out. "All set! Shall we get going?" Hermione nodded brightly before grabbing his arm and leading him out from the common room with Harry laughing heartily as he followed after her down through the castle and out to the grounds.

With Ron still not talking to them – as Hermione had sided with Harry and Ron was too stubborn to admit that he was in the wrong – the two that were left from the 'Golden Trio' had grown closer together. It almost felt like Ron had holding them back.

"Hey, Harry… You know that I had a slight crush on Ron, right?"

Harry looked over in surprised at the suddenness of the question. His expression then softened at the expression on the girl's face. She was blushing lightly. "Yeah, I did. But it was just a crush, right?" He spoke gently. "You will find someone eventually, right? Don't give up hope… And you never know, Hermione. Maybe he'll come around." He smiled gently, but watched at Hermione sighed.

"I don't think he ever will, Harry…" She sighed before sticking her hands into her pockets. She was silent for several moments before sighing again. "I've had enough with being the bookworm, Harry. I mean it is nice to have knowledge and I still love to learn, but all people see me as is the bookworm." She muttered, frowning slightly.

Harry smiled slightly and set his head on top of her head. "You have the power to change it then, Hermione." He smiled. "Don't change who you are, but you can change how you look to reflect how you feel you should be." He grinned before looking thoughtful. "Are you religious, Hermione?"

The girl looked up at Harry in surprise. "Religious? Well, I was raised Catholic but I don't really have any faith in that anymore…" She looked down with a small blush. "I've never really thought about it after coming to Hogwarts." She shrugged slightly, missing Harry's smile.

"That's alright… I have an idea. I want you to do some research, alright? I know how much you enjoy it." He chuckled before sobering up a little. "Don't think of it as me trying to convert you. What I'm trying to do is show you what else is out there." He smiled and patted Hermione's head. "The Old Pureblood families believe in what is commonly known as the Old Religion. It has changed a little over the years, but it is still a very big part of their lives." He paused. "I want you to research it and then tell me what you think." He didn't mention that he himself practiced it. He had noticed that Hermione needed a change in her life and was helping her with that. And if it helped bring the Old Ways back to the Wizarding World? Then that was a plus.

"Ooo, I like a challenge!" Hermione beamed, unaware of Harry's momentary lapse in concentration. Suddenly in a better mood, the girl grabbed her friend's hand and then started dragging him off towards Hogsmeade once more. Harry couldn't help but be amused.

"Hey, wait up!" A new voice suddenly called.

_End Chapter_

**Oh, dear… I hope you don't get mad at me! So, who do you think this person will be who called out to them?**

**Don't forget to review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**IMPORTANT: I know some of you have concerns that this will be a yaoi/slash… I have not even decided yet if there will be any romance. However, be assured that the relationship between Draco and Harry will not be romantic. Harry's behavior towards Draco will be explained given time, just trust me on this. The furthest their relationship will get will be a brotherly one. I will explain what happened later, but I don't want to give too much away just yet.**

**I enjoy yaoi, but I haven't decided whether or not that I will add romance into my story. If I do, it will most likely be hetero anyways (And no, it won't be Ginny!). If I decide to do a slash (highly unlikely at this point) I will make sure to warn you all, but at this point I have no major romance planned. Just enjoy the story, alright? And give proper criticism!**

**WARNING: A point in this chapter, I appear to bash Christianity. This is not the case! I myself am Pagan, but I grew up in a Catholic family. My opinions are my own, but I am not trying to bash Christianity. Don't take offence if you are Christian. This is merely a story. I don't want flames over this.**

**Disclaimer: I'm a poor, twenty year old still living with her parents… As much as I would like to own the major stuff, I don't. I can't even write proper updates often…**

**Note: Gaelic speech is in bold.**

Previously:

"Ooo, I like a challenge!" Hermione beamed, unaware of Harry's momentary lapse in concentration. Suddenly in a better mood, the girl grabbed her friend's hand and then started dragging him off towards Hogsmeade once more. Harry couldn't help but be amused.

"Hey, wait up!" A new voice suddenly called.

_Chapter Three_

Harry stopped when he heard the voice call out behind them, turning to look. Hermione hadn't noticed the voice at first, too intent on her mission. But when Harry's hand suddenly slipped from hers, she turned to look behind. Opening her mouth to question the young man about what had happened, she then spotted the individual who had called out to them and was hurrying to catch up. Frowning, she placed her hand in her sleeve where she kept her wand. "Malfoy…" She spoke slowly. "What do you want?" She asked cautiously, but Harry shook his head and placed his hand on her arm. "Wait a moment." He told her before stepping closer to the blonde haired boy who had called out to them.

Draco stopped when Harry and Hermione turned around. He had a nervous look on his face and his hands were idly playing with the edges of his sleeves. He was more expressive than he usually was, an uncharacteristic look of uncertainty in his eyes. "Umm… I thought about what you told me, Potter." He muttered. "And… I wanted to take you up on it." He looked briefly down at the ground before looking up more towards Harry's face, though he still didn't look him in the eye. He was still nervous and unsure how to act as he was so out of his element. It was noticeable in the way he acted.

Listening to Draco speak, Harry then smiled and stepped forward. He wrapped his arms around the smaller boy and nuzzled him gently. "I'm glad." He whispered before pulling away and slinging an arm around Draco's shoulders. He then led the younger man over to Hermione and smiled. "Don't give him a bunch of crap, alright?" He had seen the looks that the young woman was throwing the blonde. "Both of you make up and let's move on." He chuckled before pushing Draco in Hermione's direction.

They both stared at each other before Draco looked behind him. "But, Harry…" There with a slight whine to his voice. Harry only leveled a look at him. Draco immediately cowered for a moment before looking back at Hermione. "I'm sorry about everything I've ever done to you before…" He muttered a little reluctantly. Hermione only nodded hesitantly in reply. Harry understood that it would take awhile before things would be normal between the two, but at least it was a step in the right direction. And Draco was already looking a little better as he seemed to be accepting his instincts better. He certainly responded correctly. Smirking, Harry slung an arm around Draco's shoulders and took Hermione's hand before leading them down towards Hogsmeade again.

As they walked, Draco remained silent. He would occasionally seem to try an pull away from Harry's grip on him before moving closer to him a few moments later. It continued for awhile before Harry finally butted his head against the other's. "Calm down." He muttered. "Ignore what others think… you need to change your way of thinking as well. Think of this as a new opportunity, alright? Things ruled your life before because of the circumstances… but now, you have a chance to figure out the world on your own. You're not alone, Draco. I'm here to help, and I'm sure Hermione will help as well if you ask nicely." He grinned before ruffling the young man's hair.

Draco whined softly as his hair was messed and he shot Harry a glare as he attempted to fix his hair. Hermione snorted softly before looking up at Harry. "What are you talking about anyways, Harry?" She asked curiously, but Harry only shrugged and shook his head. It wasn't his story to tell.

"Draco has just decided to try a new path is all," was the only thing that he spoke before they stepped through the gates of the town. He then led them towards the Three Broomsticks. "Let's get something warm. It'll be nice in this cool weather." He grinned before leading them to the large place. Once inside, he found them a table in the corner and sat down. Hermione and Draco were still sending each other uneasy looks. Rolling his eyes, Harry smacked both of them upside the head. "Alright… That's enough, the both of you. Let's just enjoy the day, alright? You'll be surprised that we'll all probably be talking like old friends." He grinned before smirking over at Hermione. "Besides… Draco's family is one of the Old families. Maybe you could try asking him some questions…"

Hermione immediately perked up at Harry's words and Draco shot the young man a vaguely terrified look. Just what did Hermione have in store for him? She had that look on her face that scared even _him_. It was like she had something that captured her interest and now she wasn't going to let it go until she had _all_ the answers. Which was probably a pretty accurate guess… Draco had to accept the fact that he was a little intimidated by the young woman's enthusiasm. Just what had Harry gotten him into, he vaguely wondered before Hermione opened her mouth to speak. Draco seemed to brace himself.

"What does Harry mean by 'Old family'?"

It was the first question and Draco felt a little relieved as it wasn't quite what he was expecting. Looking over to Harry, the young man only inclined his head to show that he should answer before ignoring him so he could order them something to drink. Draco took a deep breath before looking back over to Hermione. He had to promise himself that he was going to be nice… he didn't think it would get on Harry's good side if he started insulting his friend. He just had to concentrate on the questions and nothing else. That had to help. "Well, I'm surprised that you….Ah, never mind." He shook his head quickly, realizing that he was going to go off into an insult. Clearing his throat, he avoided Harry's gaze before trying again.

"You know about the Purebloods, the halfbloods, and the mud… ah, muggleborns, right?" Draco barely caught himself from saying that one word that would probably earn him a smack or something. Clearing his throat again, he continued. "Well, it is not just that simple. The Purebloods are separated into divisions, though they don't like to talk about it. There are the newer families and the older ones. Newer is actually a relative term as some of the newer families can be a few hundred years old. I believe that the Weasley's are one such family…" He muttered before quickly getting back on subject. "The Old families, are Pureblood families that can trace their lines back nearly thousands of years. The Malfoys are one such family." Draco spoke proudly.

Snorting, Harry shook his head. "Magic doesn't really have a lot to do with blood." He broke into the conversation suddenly. "It's a strange thing and not possible to explain it completely. Magic is passed down through families - so it has a little to do with genetics - but it can also sometimes decided to find a host in a family that was never magical before. Hence the muggleborns… it's magic's way of keeping the magical blood alive. But where you are born, to muggles or to wizards, doesn't determine your magical prowess. That's all dependent on the magic. It is why you are such a phenomenal witch, Hermione." Harry smiled before leaning back. "Most purebloods tend to forget this as they think higher of themselves. So, they don't teach it and instead preach 'pureblood' supremacy. In fact, words such as pureblood, halfblood, and mubbleborn should not exist… we are all witches and wizards." Draco nodded his head reluctantly to this.

Hermione looked interested. She had even pulled out a little notebook and was writing things down. "So what does the Old families and New families have to do with anything if it doesn't really matter?" She asked curiously, making Harry smile and look over towards Draco to answer the question.

Draco looked very uncomfortable. He knew all of this information, but it had been drilled into his head to think otherwise. He was supposed to believe something different even though he knew that something else was the case… he had been taught that way since he was young. So have to talk about this was something he was not used to. But Harry was helping him… he couldn't just refuse. Maybe the young man was planning on something that would help him further and he just didn't realize it yet? Well, whatever the case was he had to focus back as Hermione was looking a little impatient. Draco paused a moment more before speaking. "It has to do more with tradition than anything else… The older lines have knowledge and traditions that the newer ones don't. Much was lost over the years because newer lines were established while the older lines died out. The older families were the only ones to practice the Old religion as well. It… really has little to do with blood. Knowledge is passed down through families, but that's about it. The Older families have older knowledge, that's all…" He spoke a little reluctantly about it, but Hermione looked absolutely fascinated by the information.

She was about to ask more, but Harry interrupted. "I want you to read through books and see what you find." He told her. "For this part, I want to see what you can pick apart. It will be more of a challenge than if you are just told it by Draco." He grinned before leaning back again. "Besides, our drinks are here." He grinned, picking up his mug and taking a sip of the heated drink. It was warming and delicious. Hermione looked a bit put out, but she acquiesced and said nothing more so they could enjoy their drinks before heading out into the town again.

(((Page Break)))

"I'm going to the library…" Hermione murmured absently as she started to wander off, murmuring under her breath as she went over the notebook in her hands. Amused, Harry shook his head before looking back to Draco. "It was a good day… Now, let's head to a quiet place so we can talk. We didn't really get to do it earlier." He told the young man once Hermione was out of ear shot. "Follow me." He smiled before leading the way through the corridors, taking a few short cuts along the way. Once at the Room of Requirement, he passes before the wall a few times before the door appeared. Draco looked intrigued as he followed Harry in.

"Isn't this…?" He murmured, trailing off and looking around. He was surprised that the room looked much different than he remembered it. It looked like he wasn't even standing in a castle anymore! It looked like they were on a wide meadow… Looking behind them quickly, he saw the stone archway with a single closed door. Opening it, he poked his head out and saw the castle corridor. Closing the door, he opened it again to see the same thing. Frowning, he closed the door before walking around the door. He could walk all the way around it, but not walk back into the castle! "Where are we? This place isn't like how I remember it…"

Harry looked amused as he watched Draco inspect the door. Moving over to a large grouping of rocks, he sat down on a large boulder and waited for the other to join him. When Draco finally came over, Harry smirked and patted the open spot next to him. "It's called the Room of Requirement. From what I have been able to learn, it was created by one of the Founders. So, the spell for it is probably contained in one of their family lines… it's too bad that from what we know, all of the families have died out." He then smirked. "Even Voldemort… He descends from a vague branch of the Slytherin family and so it is why he can speak parseltongue. He's not actually descended from Salazar Slytherin."

"How do you know this?" Draco asked in confusion, momentarily distracted by this new information.

Chuckling, Harry stretched out before leaning back. He looked up at the sky where the sun was setting. "Well, if Voldemort was directly descended from Salazar, then he would have been able to get into Hogwarts already because he would be the Heir of a Founder. Not even the Headmaster would be able to keep him out." He smirked slightly, looking back over to Draco. "Now then… this is the Room of Requirement like I said. It changes to what the individual inside wants. So, this is the room that you and Umbridge found us in last year. It just looks different now because I wanted a room to let us talk freely in. This is more peaceful than a barren room, yes?" He grinned.

Draco nodded briefly before looking down. "Potter… Harry, I… I want to… apologize for last year. And the years before… I realize that I have been a bit of a brat." He murmured, struggling to get the words out.

But Harry only smiled and wrapped an arm around the young man. "That is in the past now, alright? You have apologized… let's move on. Besides, you have a chance to make up for it now, alright? Things happen that open our eyes… this happened to be one of them. Concentrate on the future, rather than the past. You accepted my offer for help, right? I plan to keep my promise, but you have to let me help you." Harry smiled, nudging his nose against Draco's cheek. "We'll take it bit by bit… What we have between the two of us will help, but now it is up to you to expand it to the others around you." He smiled before pulling back and hopping off the boulder. "I'll teach you… and eventually you will be able to accept it."

Draco nodded, looking a little uncomfortable. "But… others will wonder." He murmured, still sitting there. "We fought for so long… they will think it is strange that we are suddenly so close." He was frowning, genuinely concerned over it.

Harry smiled and leaned in close. "Tell me, Draco… and tell me honestly. Do you wish to support Voldemort?" He was smiling, but his eyes were serious. He made Draco look into his eyes, though the young man kept trying to look away.

"No… I don't." Draco finally whispered. "The older generation… they have forgotten their magical heritage." Harry stood back, silently watching Draco as he spoke. The young man still sitting on the boulder continued to speak. "I don't know how it came about… but even a few of the Old families now are supporting Voldemort. It seems like they have forgotten the truth… Even my parents have forgotten." He murmured sadly. "But I can't do that anymore… what happened during the summer woke me up. I started to do research… I came upon old documents. I continued to study. I want to reclaim the old heritage that the Wizarding world is forgetting." He whispered before looking up at Harry. "It's the Ministry, isn't it?"

Harry smiled and nodded his head. "It is… And I'll explain something to you in a moment. But what we were talking about before… if anyone asks you why we are suddenly so close, explain this to them. Say that we are growing up and there is no time for petty rivalries. You want to break from the old generation, and you came to me because you knew that I could help. We are both growing up and we are putting the past behind us so we can change the world." He grinned before leaning back with a sigh, sitting down on a boulder again. "When the Ministry was established, the world was in a time of turmoil as Christianity has spread into Europe and beyond. Whereas we had once been revered by the muggles as wise men and women, the Church corrupted the people's views. Now, in theory I don't think that Christianity is that bad, but humans are easily deceived. We became hunted… So, to save us from extinction, our people went into hiding. The Ministry rose up to protect us… However, in recent years it has been becoming corrupted as well. Now, we don't have use for it anymore. We need a new system…" Harry sighed, shaking his head. "I believe that Voldemort eventually started out with good intentions. He knew that the world needed to change… but he started out the wrong way. He made mistakes and delved down the wrong path. He let himself be swallowed by the darkness. And I don't mean the balance of light and dark, but true evil. Evil that tips the balance…" Harry sighed before smiling over at Draco. "It's up to our generation now, Draco… We have to save the balance. It's been tipping into oblivion for too long. I want you to talk to the Slytherins. I know that many of them are like you and are just waiting for that guidance to come… I'm going to start a revolution within Hogwarts."

Harry stood up again and looked up towards the rising moon. "There are some adults we can trust… I will get into contact with some of them, but for the most part we are on our own. The older generation is mostly stuck in their war of good and evil." Harry shook his head with a sigh. "We have to take a third side and right things… put them the way they are supposed to be." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I… never wanted to be a leader, Draco. But that is my path in life. I've learned that… but I still need people on my side. One of them is you… and hopefully Hermione if I can guide her." He smiled, thinking about his friend. "She didn't grow up in the Wizarding world after all. She has potential… she just has to learn the circumstances. She's already doing very well on her own… she just needs a little nudge in the right direction." He chuckled, grinning at the dawning look of understanding on Draco's expression.

"That's what you were doing earlier in Hogsmeade… All that talk about Old families and the Old Religion." Draco breathed out. "You… think that there is knowledge in the Old families that will save the Wizarding world, don't you?" Harry only nodded his head simply. He knew that it was true… he didn't just think it. "And the Old Religion. What about that?"

Harry smiled. "As I said, I don't think that Christianity is too bad in theory. But for the magical world… our heritage is with the Old Religion. There is knowledge contained within it that we have long forgotten. It supports a reverence that we have long forgotten… The Old families are the ones that have less likely to forgotten it. I don't want to force conversion like the Christians did, but I still think that we would benefit if we tried to bring it back into dominance. At the very least, we will have remembered a forgotten piece of history. We can bring it to public knowledge eventually… because many don't remember it anymore. And the members of the newer generation, who aren't a part of the Old families that survive, have no idea that it ever even existed." Harry paused, shaking his head. "Do you understand where I am trying to go with this?"

Draco was silent, looking thoughtful. He then smiled slightly and nodded his head. "I can understand a little bit… but I'll have to do some research as well." He sighed softly, shaking his head. "But I will help you… I don't want to fight in this war any more than you do. It's not our war… it's our parents' wars. But we have to… We have to be the ones to change everything, right?" He looked over at Harry questioningly.

Smiling again, Harry nodded his head. "That's right… We're not completely alone, but we have to be willing to take charge so we can get something done. And it needs to be done before things get too out of control… Somebody has to do it." He had a distant look for a short time before looking back to Draco. "Well, it's almost time for dinner… what do you say we head down to the Great Hall and get something to eat? We can part ways, giving you some time to think."

Draco agreed, so the two headed down to the Great Hall. There, they went their separate ways to go to their own tables. Hermione was there to Harry's surprise, but she also had a large book with her much to his amusement. Sitting down, Harry loaded his plate with food before starting to eat. As they were sitting there, Ron suddenly came up to him.

"I heard you weren't at Quidditch practice." He frowned, looking down at his former friend and crossing his arms. Harry didn't even look at him as he continued to eat. "Oi, Potter! I'm talking to you!" He yelled out, feeling irritated. Much of the Hall quieted and looked over to them.

Sighing, Harry placed down his fork before turning to face Ron. "I would have rather enjoyed eating my dinner in peace… but I guess I can't do that." He sighed again before shaking his head. "Well, I suppose this was bound to happen anyways. I spoke to Professor McGonagall recently. I have decided to quite Quidditch. I have other things to worry about right now. The professor said I could have my ban lifted, but I decided that I wouldn't accept my position back. You guys have a great year, alright? You're a good team. You'll still do well without me." He then turned around and started eating again. The room was silent, taking in Harry's words? Did he really decided to quite Quidditch? The room then exploded in sound as everyone started speaking excitably about it. Harry noted from the corner of his eye that McGonagall was looking a little depressed and Snape was looking a bit smug. Rolling his eyes, he finished off his dinner before standing up and disappearing out the door.

(((Page Break)))

Over the time that passed, just a few weeks, Harry was caught between helping Hermione, helping and planning with Draco, and doing his studies. He was busy, but he was happy with the way things were going. Especially with Draco's progress… the young man was looking much healthier and he was acting better as well. Harry suspected that he might have a few tentative relationships with students that were outside of Slytherin house. It was quite the step for the young man. And Harry was proud of him… And now, it was getting close to Samhain night. Harry had decided that instead of going to the Halloween feast, he would host a different feast in the Room of Requirement. He would invite all that wanted to come and he would take it as an opportunity to introduce those interested in the magic of the Old Religion. And those that already did practice it... it would be a good change of pace from the usual feast that they had in the Great Hall. So, Harry had recruited some help from both Draco and Hermione. Draco was eager, having not gone to a celebration like it in years and Hermione was over her head in curiosity. So, in the day before Samhain, the group of three were in the Room of Requirement to decorate.

"This is really quite remarkable! I didn't think that this room could do something so massive!" Hermione was looking around with an excited smile. "You could house a whole village here! Have you been able to figure out anything about this? From what I can figure, the Room of Requirement operates on a whole different plane of existence, like a different dimension that is anchored in the school." She continued to happily ramble on, making Draco look over to Harry with an expression that clearly asked if she did that sort of thing often.

Chuckling, Harry nodded his head. The two seemed to be getting along a little better, though they still had their arguments. Harry was just pleased that they had gotten this far. And Hermione did realize that Draco was trying, so she gave him a bit more patience. The young woman really had come a long way… and Harry was proud of her for that. Smiling to himself, he then looked around. It was the same wide area that he had spoken to Draco in just a few weeks ago. The meadow was lined by forests that couldn't be entered, marking the boundary of the room. Now, they had to decorate it. Since the festivities would be taking place at night, they would need to set up a system of lights. Harry had given that job to Hermione. The young woman had finished her rambling at this point and was working on some lights. They hung in the air like giant glass bubbles. Harry figured they would likely glow once it got darker outside.

Turning to Draco then, he smiled. "We're going to need a large table. The room can provide that, but I want some help with decorations. Ready?" Draco nodded his head, so Harry closed his eyes and politely asked the room for two large tables to sit many students. Once they appeared, Harry pointed to one table and asked Draco to work on that one. Harry then turned to work on his own table. It was made from a dark wood. Smiling, he flicked his wand and conjured a long black table cloth. Over this, he conjured an orange runner to go across the top. Satisfied, he asked the room for some table settings. They were gold plates and cutlery along with brown napkins. Gold goblets sat in the middle of each plate. Then for decoration in the center of the table, he created centerpieces of jack-o-lanterns, acorns, multicoloured leaves, gourds, and some apples. When it was finished, he rearranged a few things before nodding to himself. Looking over to Draco's table, he saw that he had opted for a similar table cloth except with switched colours. The decorations were similar as well, though differently placed. Grinning, Harry nodded in approval before getting Draco's help in stacking wood for a large bonfire. This was placed inside the stone circle that was a bit further off in the distance.

Once the decorating was all done, Harry stretched out. "Thanks, guys… let's go then. I'll lock the room up with a password so no one can get in until tomorrow night when we let them in." He grinned before heading towards the door. "It's gunna be a lot of fun, I can tell you that. I even got some games set up." He gestured off towards the side before opening the door that lead back off into the castle. "Alrighty then… I'll see you guys later. I have to go talk to the house elves about supplying some food for this." He chuckled before sealing the room with a password. He then waved and headed off towards the kitchens. Draco and Hermione both exchanged a glance before quickly taking off in separate directions. Without Harry around, the two felt a bit uncomfortable being alone.

And the group then didn't meet up until later then next night, when they went to open the doors to the Room. Harry was dressed once again in a modified version of the clothes that he wore while back at home in the village. Draco had borrowed some of his clothes so he was dressed in a tunic and tall boots with pants that tucked into them. Hermione had been intrigued by the choice in clothing, so she had had Harry help her out. She wore a dress, the skirt a plaid fabric and the chemise was a light cream colour. Over that, the bodice was a plain black colour. Her hair was plaited with many small braids. Harry thought that it suited her…

After a short while, students started to trickle in. At first, it was just a few students. Draco introduced them to Harry and Hermione since they were from Slytherin house. And after a few terse minutes, the group that consisted of Harry, Hermione, Draco, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, and Theodore Knott were all talking as if they were old friends. Once they got over the house boundaries, they found that they weren't quite that different. Harry had a feeling that he had found his core group… Smiling, he left the group to greet the more students that were trickling in. Most of them were just curious as it was something different from the usual feast. And Hermione had created an invitation that only the students could see. It was a fanciful piece of magic and suited the situation quite well. And to make sure that none of the students would be caught out after curfew, Harry was planning on having everyone spend the night in the Room. It would be easy enough to do and it would be better than everyone trying to find their ways back to their dorms at who knew what hour. This way, they could let the festivities go on until they had died out. Harry had added numerous tents towards the furthest end of the magical clearing to allow students to go off and sleep whenever they wanted.

After about an hour, all the students had arrived. That they knew of, of course… Getting everyone's attention after he had closed the door, Harry invited them over to the tables. After everyone had sat down then, Harry stood at the head of one table. "Welcome, everyone." He grinned, holding out his arms. "Thank you all for coming, the attendance was much better than I had thought! I might have to do this for other holidays if this continues to go well." He laughed before clearing his throat. "Well, as some of you may know, this night is known as Samhain. It has other names, but in the Wizarding world, the proper name is supposed to be Samhain. It is a night of remembrance, as well as a celebration of the harvest. Nowadays, much of that is lost… You all remember the Halloween feast, yes? A bunch of sweets and decorations… that's not much of a celebration, is it?" He shook his head before grinning. "So, I am trying to resurrect some of the old traditions! For tonight, feast and have fun! After eating, we have the opportunity of some games and we will have a bonfire later. If you want any more information on this, then just see Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, or myself. We'll be able to send you off in the right direction." He chuckled before waving his hand. "But enough of that! Tonight is for celebration and festivities! So I'll stop talking now and we can all eat." He sat down then, the food that the house elves had prepared appearing on the table. There was laughter and clanging as the students started to serve themselves and started to eat while happily chattering amongst themselves.

Harry was happy. Everything was turning out well. But he wondered how long this peace would last… it couldn't last forever. Voldemort was bound to make his move soon. He had seemed too quiet recently except for the various movements against the muggles. Still, it was quieter than it should have been. It was good and bad. It meant they could have a rest, but it also meant that Voldemort was planning something big… Harry knew he needed to start making more plans. He had to start building an army, or some such thing. But now… it was a time for festival. It was Samhain. He could take his mind off of things for now and just have a good time. And later… he had plans to go off on his own and try to talk with Sirius. The best time to try was on Samhain night after all.

(((Page Break)))

The festivities were wonderful in Harry's opinion. The students were able to forget about house boundaries and they just had a good time. Things were a little tense at first, with the students all off in their little groups. But Hermione was able to bring everyone together when they started the games. Harry was thankful for her help and things went smoothly by then. And everything continued well into early morning before the students started to finally trickle off into the tents for sleep. And once everyone was in bed, Harry finally made his way off on his own. Concentrating on changing the room a little bit, a small pond appeared filled with clear water. Smiling, Harry sat down before pulling out a small bag of herbs. He concentrated, slipping into meditation before tipping the herbs into the water. He hoped to call on Sirius, wanting to see him. Maybe he could talk to him… of all the adults in the Wizarding world, he was one of the few that he could talk to. It had been hard to lose him…

Staring into the water, Harry continued to meditate as he started to gently call for Sirius. "Come to me…" He whispered. "Come so that I may speak to you on this Samhain night." He asked softly before watching as the water of the pond rippled. He concentrated harder and was relieved when he spotted a glimpse of Sirius in the water. It had worked! But then suddenly, the man whispered a brief word to him that he didn't catch before disappearing. The water then went still and did not work again. Cursing, Harry stood up and ran his fingers through his hair. Why had Sirius disappeared like that? Had he done something wrong? Sighing, he made his way to the tents to get some rest. There was no point now…

Unknown to him, a figure suddenly drifted through the veil in the ministry. Having been called forth, he was able to slip through the veil as it was Samhain night. And then suddenly, his body began to solidify. Gradually, the hazy figure became sharper and more tangible until there was a living and breathing man standing there in the dark room. Having not been supposed to fall through the veil, he was given a second chance by Magic. This man was needed…. Sirius Black looked around himself, feeling disoriented. Last he remembered was falling through the veil. He had then found himself floating… a nothingness in between worlds. Not supposed to have gone on, he had remained close to an archway, unable to pass through before Harry's voice had called to him. Seeing the young man's face briefly, he had tried to call out to him before Harry had disappeared. He had then suddenly found himself passing through the veil once more. But whatever had happened… he knew that he couldn't linger there.

(((End)))

**Oh, my goodness… it has been quite awhile since I last posted a chapter. And I was trying to be so good about it too! Sorry, guys… things came up. But now I'm finally posting again! And to make up for my absence, I made this post extra long! I hope you enjoy it!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I feel really bad for not having posted anything in awhile… I really do apologize! But with my job and everything else that is going on in my life right now, it's a little hard. Still, I've finally managed to get something written! I have no plans of abandoning this story!**

**Oh and… I'm not going to be really following the timeline. Nope, not at all. Just warning you!**

**Disclaimer: I'm a poor, twenty year old still living with her parents… As much as I would like to own the major stuff, I don't. I can't even write proper updates often…**

**Note: Gaelic speech is in bold.**

Previously:

Unknown to him, a figure suddenly drifted through the veil in the ministry. Having been called forth, he was able to slip through the veil as it was Samhain night. And then suddenly, his body began to solidify. Gradually, the hazy figure became sharper and more tangible until there was a living and breathing man standing there in the dark room. Having not been supposed to fall through the veil, he was given a second chance by Magic. This man was needed…. Sirius Black looked around himself, feeling disoriented. Last he remembered was falling through the veil. He had then found himself floating… a nothingness in between worlds. Not supposed to have gone on, he had remained close to an archway, unable to pass through before Harry's voice had called to him. Seeing the young man's face briefly, he had tried to call out to him before Harry had disappeared. He had then suddenly found himself passing through the veil once more. But whatever had happened… he knew that he couldn't linger there.

_Chapter Four_

"Hey, Harry… Are you going to start up the DA again?"

The voice broke through Harry's thoughts and he lifted his head from his book to see Hermione looking over at him. She had a large tome in her lap, but was looking over at Harry with a curious look on her face. Harry smiled and shook his head. "No, I don't have any plans on starting it up anymore." He leaned back slightly and closed his book after putting a book mark in to save his spot. He hummed thoughtfully before nodding his head. "I have another plan… I don't have much trust in Dumbledore anymore." He shook his head with a frown. "I believe he has good intentions… but he is getting old. He's beginning to make mistakes… and, he has been in a position of power for too long. No one is perfect, and he is subject to the thought of the older generation." Harry sighed and shook his head. Smiling then, he looked over to Hermione. "However… I have an idea. I'll explain more to you later. The time for planning is upon us… a war is about to begin." He whispered before standing up. "I'm going to go see Draco. He wanted to talk to me about something. I'll see you later, or in the morning if you have gone to bed." Walking over to Hermione, he pressed a kiss against her cheek before leaving.

Hermione was left with a small blush on her cheeks as she looked back down to the book in her lap. Still, she couldn't focus on the words in front of her. She was thinking over what Harry had said. And eventually, she made her way to bed when she couldn't focus on her reading anymore.

Elsewhere in the castle, Harry stepped into the Room of Requirement. Draco was already waiting for him, standing in the large meadow from before. Shutting the door behind him, Harry walked over to the young man and pulled him into his arms. "You really like this room, don't you?" He whispered, making Draco nod his head. Harry chuckled before nuzzling him. But the other young man didn't respond and pulled away, making Harry frown slightly. "What is it? What is bothering you?" He asked softly, reaching out to lift Draco's chin.

The young man was silent for a moment before he finally looked up towards Harry. "He… Vold… The Dark Lord…" He stuttered a little before clearing his throat. His eyes were red and he passed over a letter to Harry. "The Dark Lord… he wants me to kill Dumbledore." He whispered. "I was ordered to do it earlier this summer… after what happened. I've been avoiding it… but I can't anymore."

Harry frowned and quickly read over the letter. "He'll kill your parents… and expose you if you don't succeed." His mind was whirling as he thought over things. Suddenly then, he looked up. "Does anyone know? Your parents do… but do anyone else?" He handed the parchment back over to Draco and led him over to the rocks to sit down. Sitting down then, he pulled the young man against him and ran his fingers through Draco's hair in a comforting motion.

"Professor Snape knows…" Draco finally responded, looking up to Harry. "He and my mother have made an unbreakable vow. I wasn't supposed to know… but I found out." He whispered before looking away again. "So if I don't do it… Snape will have to do it for me or else he'll break the vow. Either way… Dumbledore has to die." He looked depressed and uncertain, though there seemed to be some relief now that he had gotten it off his chest.

"If Snape knows… Dumbledore likely knows as well." Harry whispered softly, a small frown on his lips. "He'll be prepared to die… I'm sure of it." He then hummed thoughtfully. "I want to meet with Snape and talk with him." He then looked back over to Draco. "We'll figure something out… if worse comes to worse, there is a place I know of that we might be able to get your parents to. They will be safe there… you will be safe there." He frowned slightly. "Of course, it is up to your parents… they made the choice to follow Voldemort in the first place, but perhaps their eyes have opened." He sighed before smiling down at Draco. "Given the circumstances… you are under my protection now, Draco. And I promise to protect you… but you must learn to stand on your own feet and become strong. I will help you with that. You are well on your way and are doing well."

Harry was silent then before he looked down at Draco again after having looked up. "I am going to start an army." The other could only nod. Continuing then, Harry looked up at the stars above them, his face thoughtful. "I need to start recruiting… starting with the youth of Hogwarts. But we can't stop there… Voldemort will begin to expand. So will we…" He whispered before shaking his head. "But that is getting a head of myself… We need to start in Hogwarts. And I need a core group to be my generals alongside me, a group that I can trust." He whispered, smiling to himself. "And I have decided… I want you to work alongside me. Hermione as well… she has a love of learning, and her knowledge is broad. We could use her skills, help bring back the glory the Wizarding world once had." He chuckled then. "Soon… I will have a meeting, I think. I'll need your help in inviting Pansy, Blaise, and Theo to it. Somehow, I don't think that they will need much convincing, though." He chuckled, looking down at Draco's surprised look. "We'll be the third force in this war, little brother." Harry whispered. "And we'll be the youngest… but the strongest. War is upon us. We have to grow up… we don't have the privilege of being children any longer. We have to protect those that still are… It's the sad fact of war. And it isn't all glory and heroics. Learn that, alright? We have a long path ahead of us…" Harry's expression turned distant for a moment before he looked back over to Draco. "Come on… let's get to our beds. We still have a little bit of time… I will plan and then get back to you. Get some rest while you can… we will have to move out before long. Even if that means leaving Hogwarts…"

((Page Break))

Over the next few days, Harry mostly kept to himself. As such, Hermione and Draco usually spent the time together. Also, the three other Slytherin students came to join them sometimes. Hermione was beginning to get along with all four of them, and Harry was glad for it from what he saw from the sidelines. He was planning on having a meeting with them soon, but first he had to meet with Professor Snape. When he went to the man, Snape did not want to talk to him at first and tried to send him away. But Harry would not give up. He eventually explained that Draco had told him everything and that he had taken the young man under his protection. He did not want Draco involved with what Voldemort had planned. He was leaving it up to Snape to figure something out with the Headmaster and to get in contact with the elder Malfoys to see what their position was. Depending on their decision… Harry could work for their safety. But now that he didn't have to worry about Draco taking part in the plan and stressing over it, he could work on other plans. He could work on things that were of more importance…

Voldemort had still been quiet, and that continued to worry Harry. The young man had thought that once the Wizarding world was aware of him again, and that he actually was alive, then he would become more active. He had… but not on the scale that Harry had been expecting. It had worried him, but he realized now it was because of the plan of wanting to kill Dumbledore. He was also likely basking in the terror that had gripped the Wizarding people. It was also likely that he was working on making his way into the Ministry, planning on invasions and large scale attacks. There were attacks on wizards and muggles alike, but it had yet to grow into a full blown war. And it was why Harry was concerned… but it gave him time to build a army, a third force in the building conflict.

Another problem was the horcruxes. Harry had already known about them, something he had figured out over the summer with the help of the people he lived with. After the visions and false visions he had been sent by Voldemort, he had gone to the elders in concern. From there, they had found the piece of soul that Voldemort had unwittingly placed inside of him on that Samhain night long ago. They were able to remove it… and destroy it. His scar now was only a normal scar and had already begun to fade. So far, no one had seemed to notice and Harry meant to keep it that way for now.

But now that he was aware that there were horcruxes, he knew he would have to find them all and destroy them in order to get rid of Voldemort. He had remembered the diary from second year and instantly recognized it as a horcrux as he had done research about the vile topic. That was two… and Voldemort had obviously used another one to resurrect himself. So, that was a total of three so far. Harry had also noticed the shriveled hand that the Headmaster sported. On the same hand was a ring that he had never seen before, but he had suspicions that it might have been another horcrux. So, it was reasonable to believe that the Headmaster knew about the horcruxes as well, and was attempting to look for them. Still, he had yet to come to Harry about it. The young man half suspected the man to…

But Harry didn't worry too much about it at that point. He had an army to recruit and that was his priority. And since he had spoken with Snape about things, he now had Draco under his complete protection so the young man wouldn't have to worry about the task that Voldemort gave to him.

So, it was towards the end of November that Harry finally called together the small group of friends. He had called them to the Room of Requirement. Except this time, it wasn't the meadow from before. When the group stepped in, it appeared as a giant meeting hall. The structure itself was made of wood, and there were various scenes carved into them. In the middle of the floor was a large firepit with a roaring bonfire in it. Around the fire were many benches, and Harry was sitting on one of them. When the others entered, he smiled and stood up. "Thanks for coming… Hermione, could you lock the door behind you? I would rather not have any interruptions." He chuckled before inviting everyone to sit with him. Then once everyone was comfortable, he handed out some butterbeer that he had gotten from the elves. Sitting down then, he sipped at his drink before sighing softly.

The others were quiet, watching Harry as they were curious as to why the young man had called them there late at night. Harry was silent though, seemingly deep in thought. But then he finally looked up at the others and smiled. "I'm really not sure how to start this out… It's been on my mind for awhile, but I just can't seem to figure out how to say things." He chuckled then, taking a sip of his drink. "I suppose that's why I could never give speeches…" He shrugged his shoulders before sighing softly and ruffling his hair. "But I guess it's best not to beat around the bush…" He looked up and looked each of them straight in the eye. "I want to build an army. Draco already knows this, but I want to tell each of you this. I want to build an army and fix the balance of things." He sighed again before setting his mug down and standing up.

Beginning to pace, Harry continued to speak as he gestured with his hands. "In recent years… the balance has been tipping. At first, it was the ministry. They started tipping the balance towards the 'light', so to speak. Making laws against so called 'dark' creatures and 'dark' spells." He frowned. "So on the opposite side of this, Voldemort rose to power to tip the balance back. That is what I believe his original intention was. He wanted to bring back balance… but over the course of the years, he allowed himself to become corrupted by the darkest of the shadows, the evil in the world. And so he started tipping the balance and kept tipping it…" He paused before looking over to the others. "And so Dumbledore reinstated his Order from when he fought Grindlewald… but this is information we all know." He smiled slightly. "At least, this is information that is obvious to us. And since the balance is being tipped, we need to be the ones to level it and repair the damage. Over the years, a lot of damage has been done… even once this war is over, there will be a lot of work ahead. But our greatest advantage… is our youth. Whereas the adults have become trapped in their cycle, our generation has seen their folly and we have the strength to fix it. Of course, we are not completely on our own… but the point is, is that we are the ones that have to fix the balance, whether we want to or not. We have to fight this war… and if no one else is going to step up, then I have to take the initiative."

Harry sighed then and turned away for a moment. He was silent, but then he suddenly smiled and opened up his arms. "But I cannot do this alone…" Turning back to the others, he held his hands out to them. "Each of you has skills and knowledge that will make you leaders. And I want you to help me… There is Blaise with his excellent knowledge of strategy. There is Theo with his amazing prowess in ancient spells. There is Pansy with her vast knowledge of healing. There is Hermione with her wonderful mind and knowledge of modern days spells. And there is Draco… my brother." He winked at the young man before smiling at all of them. "So will you help me? I cannot start this on my own… I need someone I can trust, and someone who can help me lead. We're all in this together…"

There was silence before Theo stood up. Walking over to Harry, he was silent before he suddenly smiled and held out a hand. "Yeah, we're in this together. We're with you all the way, Commander." The others then stood as well and walked over to voice their agreement. Harry let out a breath of relief before smiling and nodding his head. "Thank you… but this is only the beginning. We have a long road ahead of us… first of which is building an army." He sighed before smiling at them again. "Of which, we can start now."

Harry turned to Hermione then. "I know you are somewhat close with some of the students in Ravenclaw, because you take classes with them. Because of this, I want you to write up a list of students that we can approach about joining. I'll leave it up to you." He touched her shoulder before turning to Blaise and giving him an amused smile. "I know you have a secret friend in Hufflepuff… I only happened to find out by chance. So, I would like you to tackle that House as you will have the easiest time in surveying the students for possible recruits." He turned to Draco next and placed his hands against the young man's shoulders. "I know everyone in Slytherin House looks up to you… I'm giving you the task of recruiting in your own House. Be careful, but I know you will make me proud… you can have Pansy help you." He smiled at the young woman before pulling away from Draco. "I will create a list from Gryffindor House." He then sighed softly and shook his head. "And I'm sorry… but I can only give you all a few days to create your lists. We don't have time in our favor… It won't be long before Voldemort makes his move, and we have to be prepared. The war will start soon… and we can't afford to be behind."

((Page Break))

"Harry… have you thought of a name?"

Blinking out of his thoughts, Harry looked over at Hermione where she was sitting. They were in the Room of Requirement with one of their meetings. Harry just wanted to make sure that things were going well, and also wanting to fling ideas back and forth between the group. Currently, Theo and Blaise seemed to be having an argument of some kind. But Harry quickly focused back on Hermione. "A name for what?" he asked curiously, making Hermione roll her eyes.

"A name for the group, silly." She smiled and put her book away before standing up off the lounge chair she had been reclining on. "Dumbledore has his Order, and Voldemort has his Death Eaters. Shouldn't our army have a name as well?" She asked curiously with a smile. The others looked over as well at the question, the argument between Theo and Blaise forgotten.

Harry could only stare at them before he rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "I'm not really good at naming things…" He muttered. "If I tried to come up with something… it would be completely unoriginal." He frowned slightly before looking over at the others. "Do we really need to name this?" Well, that was what he wanted to say… but he didn't. Instead, he sighed before humming thoughtfully. "Well, do you have any ideas? And no… I'm not naming it Potter's Army, or something like that." He rolled his eyes, making Draco snicker.

Hermione huffed before humming to herself. "New Dawn?" She suddenly spoke, looking up at Harry after a few moments of thought.

Harry blinked in surprise before smiling. "New Dawn… I like it." He spoke softly. "We're bringing a new dawn to the world of magic…" He then chuckled and leaned back slightly. "Well, I guess we will have to come up with some sort of logo as well, won't we? An emblem…" He thought curiously out loud before being interrupted by Pansy.

"We'll need a uniform as well! I'll work on that. Just leave it to me!" She grinned before turning around quickly and grabbing a notebook that was provided from the Room. Moving off to the side then, she furiously started sketching in the book and mumbling to herself. The others watched in surprise before sharing a laugh and going off to other things.

((Page Break))

He had to get to the castle undetected… he had to get inside. But how could he do that? The Headmaster knew everything, the wards directly connected to him. If he entered… he would be found out. But he didn't want the headmaster to know what he was there. He couldn't let the old man know, because he would use him again. He had to get to Harry… but then suddenly, a large owl dropped out of nowhere. "Hedwig…" The man murmured, reaching up to touch her soft feather. "Go to him… tell him that I need to see him." He spoke roughly, as if his voice hadn't been used in a long time. "Take this to him… he'll understand." He handed over a small item and the owl took it into her beak before taking off for the castle.

Flying in a window, she soon perched herself on Harry's should. Smiling up at the owl, the young man petted her gently. "Hello there, girl… did you have a nice flight?" He was about to turn back to the others when Hedwig dropped something onto his lap. Frowning, Harry picked up the small chain and looked at it. Seeing the amber gem, his eyes widened and he stood up abruptly. The action startled the others, but Harry ignored them and hurried out of the room. Heading out of the castle, he silently made his way across the grounds until he reached the boundary of the wards. There, he called out to the man who stood just on the other side. "Sirius!"

"Hey, cub…" The man said softly with a smile. He would have taken Harry into his arms for a hug, but it would mean either one of them crossing the wards and alerting the Headmaster. So, he settled for a smile and a wave. "I guess death didn't want me… sorry it took so long to come find you. I've had to travel secretly."

Harry was speechless before he shook his head. "No… it's alright." He finally spoke before smiling widely. "Magic works in mysterious ways, huh?" He spoke softly before letting out a breath. "I can't believe you're back…" He murmured before looking back over to the man. "We have a Hogsmeade trip coming up soon. We'll all meet you then, alright? I'll explain things to you then… but for now, you should go before you are caught." He hesitated, wanting to go to his godfather. But the man only nodded his head and said goodbye. He promised to go see Harry during the students' trip before disappearing. Harry let out a breath before smiling and turning back to the castle to return. His heart felt lightened…


	5. Chapter 5

**Another chapter already? Even I am surprised at myself! But do enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I'm a poor, twenty year old still living with her parents… As much as I would like to own the major stuff, I don't. I can't even write proper updates often…**

**Note: Gaelic speech is in bold. Although, this might not appear again for awhile. We shall see…**

Previously:

Harry was speechless before he shook his head. "No… it's alright." He finally spoke before smiling widely. "Magic works in mysterious ways, huh?" He spoke softly before letting out a breath. "I can't believe you're back…" He murmured before looking back over to the man. "We have a Hogsmeade trip coming up soon. We'll all meet you then, alright? I'll explain things to you then… but for now, you should go before you are caught." He hesitated, wanting to go to his godfather. But the man only nodded his head and said goodbye. He promised to go see Harry during the students' trip before disappearing. Harry let out a breath before smiling and turning back to the castle to return. His heart felt lightened…

_Chapter Five_

When Harry returned to the castle, he was immediately set upon by the rest of his group as they were wondering where he had gone off to. Chuckling, he ushered them off to an empty room before closing the door behind him. "I would like to keep this a secret, just to see the looks of surprise on your face… but we can't afford to keep secrets from each other." He frowned briefly, before shaking his head. "Anyways, what I am going to tell you has to be kept a close kept secret." He told them sternly before pausing as he waited for them to nod their agreement. Harry nodded his head solemnly before smiling. "Now then… You all know of Sirius Black, right? Hermione has met him in person, but as for the rest of you, Sirius is my godfather. Last year, when I entered the Department of Mysteries with a few other students, we fought against Death Eaters. Dumbledore's Order appeared, and with them came my godfather. He isn't the murderer that everyone believes him to be. I'm sure you all know this already, because of your parents." He wasn't accusing, just stating a face. Continuing on then, he sighed softly. "Sirius was killed in the chamber with the veil…" He trailed off then, letting the others take in this information.

The Slytherins all looked surprised. "The Veil… it actually exists?" Theo whispered a little hoarsely. "That is to say… it's an actual, physical object?" In legends and teachings of the Old Religion, the Veil was the barrier between life and death. Some saw it as more of a metaphor, though.

Smiling then, Harry nodded his head. "Yes, it's real. I suspect that there may be more others like it around the world in various places. Perhaps one day we could search them out." He shrugged his shoulders before humming thoughtfully. Now that he thought about it… it probably wasn't much of a coincidence that Voldemort managed to survive when he attacked him at his home in Godric's Hollow. Sure, he had the Horcruxes… but it also probably helped that he had attacked him on Samhain night when the Veil was at its thinnest. But that was a musing for another time… "Sirius was pushed through the Veil with the use of a spell. I do not believe that he was intended to die that day." He smiled again, thinking about his godfather. "On Samhain night, I attempted to speak to him after everyone had gone to bed. I was able to see him briefly, but then I lost contact. It is my belief… that I called him forth. Sirius came back through the Veil and came to see me. He's alive and well."

Harry fell silent then, smiling to himself as he watched the reactions around him. Hermione's face was a little slack in surprise before she quickly started muttering to herself, probably going over everything she knew about the Veil. The others were slack jawed in response to the whole idea that someone had actually comeback through the Veil alive. It really was amusing to watch… but Harry eventually chuckled and brought their attention back to him. "At the next Hogsmeade trip, I'm going to go see him. I would like you all to come with, because he is one of the few adults from the Order that we can trust." Harry proposed softly, waiting for their answers.

He needn't have worried at all, as it only took a few moments before the others all nodded their heads and voiced their agreements. "If you trust him, Harry, then that is enough for us." Blaise spoke up with a smile. "I know that I, personally, would like to meet him, and the others do as well." He gestured towards the other four with a smile. "Well, Hermione already knows him, but I'm sure she would like to see him again, right?" He smiled over to the young woman, who only blushed lightly and nodded her head.

Harry smiled in response. "Good, so it is settled then. But for now, focus on the tasks that I have given you. Also, we should be heading back to our dorms." He chuckled. "I'll keep in touch then." Harry dismissed them, giving each of them a hug before they all parted ways.

((Page Break))

A few days later found Harry and Hermione sitting alone in the Room of Requirement. They were waiting for the others to gather for a meeting, and had gotten their early. Part of it was because the Slytherins had a class that wasn't taken with the Gryffindor House. But the class would be over soon, so the two Gryffindors didn't have long to wait before everyone was there. I the meantime, Harry was going over some text in front of him before he looked over to Hermione. Over the past few weeks, she had changed. She had grown her hair out, and took greater pains to tame it. Harry had helped her, giving her a few tips that he had learned from the women in the village he lived in during the summer. So, Hermione's hair fell in gentle curls around her head now, little braids holding it back with a few beads as decoration. Also, she tended to dress in the more traditional outfits nowadays when she wasn't wearing her uniform. Sometimes, it was a dress similar to the one she wore to the Samhain festivities. Other times, she wore a tunic and pants, similar to something that Harry might wear. All in all, Harry thought that the change looked good on her.

"You know… I'm surprised that the Wizarding world has managed to grow so far away from the ancient rituals and beliefs." Hermione suddenly spoke up, her words breaking Harry out of his thoughts. "I mean… they are utterly fascinating for one thing." She smiled and traced the line of text she had been reading before she had spoken. "And another thing… it's not just blind faith. The Christians… they have their occasional miracles, but I suspect that is just magic at work." She paused gathering her thoughts. "But the Old Ways… it's something living. We can feel the presence and connection of the Gods through the earth, and through magic itself." She trailed off, a soft smile on her face. "I wish I had learned this all before…" She said finally, looking over to Harry.

The man smiled and nodded his head. "Perhaps you wouldn't have been ready for it before… but now that you know, never stop learning," he told her before looking over as the door to the Room opened up. Standing then, he went to greet the others. Leading them over to the tables then, he passed out some snacks and drinks before sitting down. "How's everyone been doing? I haven't seen you all except for classes lately." He chuckled softly, letting everyone settle in with some light conversation before they started on anything.

But after some time, Pansy pulled a box out of her bag and stood up. "I met with Hermione for some help, and we managed to figure out some spells for the uniform I've created." She then motioned to Blaise. "Could you come with me for a moment? You too, Hermione. I want the two of you to model off what I've created for us." She smiled before leading the two over to two dressing rooms that had appeared in their meeting hall. Sending them in with quiet instructions, she then walked back over to the table. "Now, the styles are basically the same for both men and women. However, I wanted to make sure that there was some distinguishing difference between our uniforms, and the rest of the army." She then called out Hermione first. "This will be our uniform."

Hermione stepped out of the room when she was called and walked over to stand at Pansy's side. The young woman was wearing tight black pants tucked into dragon skin boots Along the sides of the pants, there was a strip of dark red. Over this, she wore a black tunic that was belted around the waist. On her wrists, she wore dragon skin bracers with the sleeves of the tunic tucked under. Around her shoulders, she wore a black cloak with the hood up to conceal her hair. Over her face, she wore a mask that was made of darkened porcelain. The eyes and mouth were closed, but magic enable the wearer to see through them. On the mask, there was a minimal design over the lower portion, while there was a stylized sun on the forehead.

Looking proud of her work, Pansy had Hermione pull off her hood so that the others could see the mask better. "Hermione helped with the enchantments on the mask. There is a sticking charm to hold it in place, while another charm makes it so the wearer won't even feel like they are wearing a mask. They can breathe normally, as well as see normally." She then smirked and looked over to Hermione. "But there are some other enhancements as well. For one, in the dark the night vision charm will activate automatically, so the wearer will be able to see normally even in the dark. Also, there is a spell that works as a muggle… gas mask was it?" Hermione nodded her head, so Pansy continued. "If there are poisons or other things in the air, the spell will filter it out so the wearer can breathe normally." She paused. "And one last thing… there is a communication charm that will go on each mask, so each member can contact each other no matter the distance. It can either be private, or a mass message."

Pansy then called for Blaise to come out. When the man appeared and went to stand next to Hermione, Pansy pointed out a few differences. "This is what the rest of the army will wear. They have the same masks, but the markings are white instead of the dark red of the generals' masks. Also, they don't have the dark red lining on their cloaks and the pants." Pansy fell silent then, waiting for the response.

Harry hummed softly, looking them over. "I like it." He said finally, smiling. "The design on the mask is our emblem, yes?" He questioned Pansy, glancing over to the young woman. She nodded in response, to which Harry grinned. "Fantastic! Now, I want you and Hermione to work together to get started on our uniforms, alright? Also, if you can, I want you to get started on the uniforms for the rest of the army. We will have to start recruiting, and it would be best if we were able to start handing out uniforms as soon as possible." He smiled happily then before leaning back in his chair. "You did a wonderful job, Pansy. Thank you so much for doing this. And thank you, Hermione, for helping her." The two nodded their heads before Hermione and Blaise went to change again.

Once the two came back then, the meeting took a more serious tone. Each person reported their findings about possible recruits, handing out lists so that they could be compared. Also, the group started debate about whether or not they should send out invitations to the listed individuals. Anyone could ask questions, while the person who picked the name had to defend their choice. Harry wanted to make sure that they picked only the best. After all, it was a war… they would need strength and he didn't want to send into battle anyone who wouldn't have a good chance of making it compared to the others.

So, it was in this way that the group was able to compile a list of twenty students from all four houses:

Hannah Abbott

Nicholas Barron

Micayla Breverton

Michael Breverton

Susan Bones

Millicent Bulstrode

Tracey Davis

Seamus Finnigan

Daphne Greengrass

Wayne Hopkins

Megan Jones

Anthony Kelley

Sebastian Lebbon

Neville Longbottom

Luna Lovegood

Padma Patil

Parvati Patil

Dean Thomas

Adriana Thornwood

Lisa Turpin

Starting with this list, Harry tucked away securely before standing up. "Thank you all so much for your help." He smiled. "I will work on the invitations and then send them off within the week. I was thinking that we could call each one of them here separately and then tell them of our plans. If they wish to join us, they can swear an oath. If they do not, then we can wipe their minds of ever being here and receiving the invitation. Does that sound reasonable enough?" He looked around at the others, receiving nods in reply. Harry relaxed slightly. "Thank you…" He then turned to Theo and Blaise with a smile. "I want the two of you to come up with a plan as to how we can conduct the surveys. Blaise, I'm leaving this to you and I want Theo to help you." He turned to Hermione and Pansy then. "I want you to work on the uniforms, like I asked you earlier. Please try to have ours done first so we can possibly wear them during the interviews." Finally then, he turned to Draco. "I want you to work on the oath that the members will have to swear by if they accept. I will help you if you need it, but I trust you and believe that you will do well on your own." He smiled before turning back to all of them. "It's just about time for dinner… why don't we all head off now to get some real food?" He chuckled, dismissing them before they all parted ways to go down to the Great Hall separately so they wouldn't attract attention.

((Page Break))

It was towards the beginning of December that the students had their next Hogsmeade trip. With the first snow, and the recent death eater activity in the Wizarding world, not many of the students dared to venture outside. Still, it didn't stop Harry from leaving the castle with Hermione and Draco. The young woman was bundled up, wearing a heavier dress and a heavy woolen cloak. Both Harry and Draco did not dress as heavily, but still wore warm woolen cloaks. They were going to meet up with the other three at the Hogshead before they made their way to go find Sirius. They had not interviewed the students yet, but they were planning on doing it within the next few weeks. A few things had popped up, and Harry had finally been summoned by the Headmaster one week. But not needing anything from the old man, Harry declined the man's offer for the moment to focus on other things. And, of course, he had to fend off Slughorn. He had done well to avoid the man so far, but the professor had been trying harder to get him into his Slug Club. So, this trip was a relief in more ways than one.

"How are you not cold, Harry?"

Hermione suddenly broke through Harry's thoughts and he looked down at the young woman in amusement. "I'm hot blooded." He teased before looking up at Draco with a grin. "Am I right?" The young man only snorted softly. Rolling his eyes when he didn't get the young man to back him up, Harry led the way into the Hogshead. Glancing around, he spotted the other three students and smiled at them. "Ready?" He called out to them before leading the way out of the pub. The group then made their way towards the Shrieking Shack, and only Harry and Hermione didn't seem nervous. Snorting softly, Harry rolled his eyes. "There aren't any real spirits in that building, I'll have you know." He smirked before opening the door and letting the others inside. "And it's very secure, even if it looks ready to fall apart."

Leading the group up the stairs then, Harry had barely made it into one of the bedrooms before he was suddenly attacked with a hug. The others drew their wands in reaction, but Harry merely hugged the man tighter. "Oh, Sirius… I missed you." He whispered, holding onto his godfather tighter. Pulling away then, he smiled at the others and motioned for them to put their wands away. "Guys, this is my godfather, Sirius Black." He smiled before looking back over to the man, who he noticed was actually slightly shorter than him. Amused, he gestured towards his friends. "Sirius, this is Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabinin, Pansy Parkinson, and Theodore Nott. They are my friends." He stressed the last word and the man let out a drawn out sigh.

"Oh, fine… I have grown up, you know." He raised an eyebrow at Harry before looking over to the others. "I don't really have a reason to hate you kids. Well, you aren't kids, but you get the point." He waved his hand dismissively before looking back at Harry. "You sure have grown in a short amount of time, cub… you're not a cub any longer, are you?" He smiled a little sadly before inviting them all in to sit on the couches he had prepared in the room.

Once everyone was comfortable then, Sirius smiled over at Harry. "So, how have you been doing, Harry?" He looked over to Hermione. "And you as well… although, where in Ron?" He asked curiously before frowning at the dark look on Hermione's face and the sigh that Harry let out.

"He doesn't know how to grow up… and that is dangerous in this time. We have a war coming…" Harry explained softly before looking over to Hermione. "Can you set up some more privacy charms?" He asked and she nodded her head before pulling out her wand. Once she was done then, Harry turned back to his godfather. "We can't spend too much time, or people may get suspicious. So, I will keep this as short as I can for now." He paused before speaking again. "I need your help, Sirius. I know you don't trust the Order, know that something else needs to be done. So, I want you to help me instead… we could use your expertise, Sirius." Harry smiled, knowing that the man was more useful out in the open and doing things rather than sitting in an old house doing nothing. Dumbledore had kept Sirius in Grimmauld Place for his own protection, but it did more harm than good.

Sirius broke Harry out of his thoughts. "Just what are you planning, Harry?" He asked his godson, his face somber for once.

Smiling slightly then, Harry shifted in his chair. "What is said here cannot be repeated at this time. We are still in the early phases, and secrecy is key." He told Sirius firmly before continuing. "So, if you don't want to go along with it, but I am sorry but we will have to obliviate you of this conversation. Do you understand this, Sirius?" He stressed this, and relaxed slightly when his godfather nodded somberly. Harry then sat back and ran his fingers through his hair. "We mean to join the war, Sirius… and I don't mean join the Order, or even join the Dark Lord. The balance needs to be restored… and you understand that this can't happen with the way things are going now. Whoever wins… will tip the balance off in either direction."

Sirius was silent before he nodded his head slowly. "I understand this…" He sighed before standing up and pacing. Harry could see the haunted look in the man's eyes, all trace of humor was gone at the serious subject. "I wish I could say that you are too young for this… I wish I could protect you from this, Harry." He sighed before smiling faintly at his godson. "However… I know you aren't a boy anymore. I am probably one of the few who realized that none of you are children anymore… you have all had to grow up early." He looked them over before looking back over to Harry. "I accept. I'll help you with your war." He smiled, going over to Harry and holding out his hand. "So tell me everything that I need to know…"

From there, Harry and the others explained to Sirius everything that they had planned until now. Sirius listened patiently through everything, asking questions only at the end. Nodding his head then, he stood up again. "You all should be getting back to Hogwarts before it gets too much later." He then grasped Harry's arm when the young man stood up. "I'll keep an eye on things in Dark Lord's circle for now. You are the only ones who know I am alive, so I'll be able to slip around unseen. I'll keep you all update." He glanced at each of them and smiled. "Good luck." He whispered before disappearing.

((Page Break))

A few days later, the group held the interviews. Using the abilities of the Room of Requirement, they had two doors. The entrance was in the normal spot, but the exit led to a door on a different floor. It was rather useful so that potential recruits wouldn't meet each other until Harry deemed they were all ready to meet. Also, they wouldn't be able to give away what had happened inside based just on expressions, or anything like that.

The way that interview was set up, the recruit was walk into the Room and the door would be shut and locked behind them. The lights were out, all accept for a single light in the middle of the floor. There, the recruit was expected to stand. The members of New Dawn stood around them in a circle, all dressed in their uniforms. They would then throw out questions, and based on the recruit's response, they would move on to the next step. This was merely testing what the recruit was like under pressure. Once they passed that test, what was going on was explained to them. If they agreed to join then they would have to take an oath so they would be unable to talk about what had happened. If they did not want to join, they would be obliviated and sent on their way.

And based on their list, going in alphabetical order by last name, the first to show up would be Hannah Abbott. And when she appeared, her wand immediately appeared in her hand. Pleased with the reaction, Harry watched as she made her way cautiously forward. "Hello? Who's here? What do you want?" She called out uncertainly. Harry then nodded his head, giving out a signal. Immediately, Blaise started the questioning. "Answer every question. First question: State your name." He called out, to which Hannah jumped and stuttered to reply, her wand flying around to point to the source of the voice.

But Hermione was the next to speak, asking a random trivia question from first year. Hannah whipped around, as the young woman was standing behind her. "W..Who are you people?" She stuttered out, demanding to know what was going on.

Theo spoke next. "Answer the question and all will be revealed in time." Hannah spun again when he spoke, her wand whipping wildly about. But she did answer the question, so Theo shot out another question. "Quickly, quickly." He demanded that she answer, as she was being too slow. It went on like this, Hannah eventually calming down a fraction. Still, she kept her wand up through the entire time, though her hand was shaking.

When the interrogation came to an end, there was silence as the group debated whether or not they would move on. Eventually, Harry nodded his head. "I see potential." He spoke out softly and the other slowly nodded in agreement. So, they all took turns in explaining the situation. Hannah went through various emotions, first shock, then irritation, and then thoughtfulness. Eventually, she nodded her head. "I'll do it."

Pleased with her choice, Harry nodded his head with a smile behind his mask. He then levitated a bag and sent it closer to Hannah. "Take this… it is your uniform. Keep it secret and keep it safe. When you are summoned to a meeting, you will know." They had yet to figure out a way yet, though Hermione had brought up the DA coins from last year. It was something they would figure out next. "Now, on your knees and raise your wand. I want you to repeat after me…" He waited for her to obey before he slowly spoke the oath, having her repeat it back to him. When it finished, a gold band shot out of Hannah's hand before wrapping around her wrist. It glowed against her skin with runes before sinking into her skin and disappearing.

Harry smiled then. "Well done, Hannah Abbott, and welcome to New Dawn. Go now… we will be in touch with you soon." She disappeared then, with the next recruit entering only a few minutes later.

From then on, it took several hours before they managed to get through all the recruits as they had to take a few breaks. In the end, most of the new recruits had accepted. Two, Lisa Turpin and Anthony Kelley, did not make it through the first round. And only one, Nicholas Barron, refused the offer and was obliviated. So all in all, Harry felt that they had done to have seventeen new members: Hannah Abbott, Micah Breverton, Michael Breverton, Susan Bones, Millicent Bulstrode, Tracey Davis, Seamus Finnigan, Daphne Greengrass, Wayne Hopkins, Megan Jones, Sebastian Lebbon, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Padma Patil, Parvati Patil, Dean Thomas, and Adriana Thornwood. There were ten young women and seven young men who had joined. The wheels were turning… they would have to make some tough decisions in the future. They would have to prepare the young men and women who were going to fight by their sides. Things seemed more real now… Harry removed his mask and stared down at it. "And together… we will remain strong." He whispered out loud, the others gathering closer around him.

((Page Break))

*((Elsewhere))*

"**Cathal."**

A deep voice spoke, breaking the man out of his thoughts. Turning, the broad shouldered man looked down at the one who had called out to him. **"Rise, brother. Tell me what you need."** He spoke as he settled down in a nearby chair.

The man, who had spoken originally, stood up from his position and held out a letter to the larger man in the cahir. **"Faolan sent us a message from his scouting mission. Things are beginning to be set into motion from what he has observed… we might have to move out as well before it is too much longer." **He frowned slightly, thinking about it.

Cathal frowned slightly and read over the letter before he nodded his head. **"We will wait for further news before we make any decisions. However, I still want you to prepare. Things may change quickly, and we need to be ready for anything." **He ordered before reading over the letter again. **"And gather together a small hunting party. We may have need for a small mission before we send out our full forces."**

The other nodded and bowed his head in respect before leaving to do as ordered.

((End Chapter))

**Finished! Wow… I was just inspired to write, and out it comes! Now, if you want to see a picture of what the mask looks like, I made a picture of the design and put it up on deviantart. Here is the link here: ****http: / kittycait13 .deviantart. com/# /d40yv10**

**Remember to remove all the spaces!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Alright, my peeps… this little chapter will answer some questions that have been posed. Of course, I'll make sure to write more so you have a full sized chapter to read, but I'll tie up a few loose ends. As for other questions… well, you'll have to continue reading to find out!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own this. Wish I could so I could get the money that comes with owning something so awesome, but I don't. Never going to either. This is all just for fun!**

Previously:

"**Cathal."**

A deep voice spoke, breaking the man out of his thoughts. Turning, the broad shouldered man looked down at the one who had called out to him. **"Rise, brother. Tell me what you need."** He spoke as he settled down in a nearby chair.

The man, who had spoken originally, stood up from his position and held out a letter to the larger man in the cahir. **"Faolan sent us a message from his scouting mission. Things are beginning to be set into motion from what he has observed… we might have to move out as well before it is too much longer."**He frowned slightly, thinking about it.

Cathal frowned slightly and read over the letter before he nodded his head. **"We will wait for further news before we make any decisions. However, I still want you to prepare. Things may change quickly, and we need to be ready for anything."**He ordered before reading over the letter again. **"And gather together a small hunting party. We may have need for a small mission before we send out our full forces."**

The other nodded and bowed his head in respect before leaving to do as ordered.

_Chapter Six_

Harry sighed and ran his fingers over his face as he stared down at the desk in front of him. He was sitting in the Room of Requirement going over various plans. Pulling a piece of parchment closer to him, he frowned slightly as he read over the information. Sirius had sent it to him not too long ago, and according to him Voldemort was still sitting around and making plans. There were raids, but there wasn't anything on the scale that had been in the last war. Not yet… and it made Sirius think that the man was planning something big. That didn't sit right with Harry and he knew that they couldn't sit around either. Something was building… it was like the calm before a storm. It might be quiet now with the turmoil just under the surface, but when it was released it was going to be a hurricane. It was only a matter of time now… and they had to be prepared.

"Harry?"

A quiet voice broke through his thoughts making the man look up and then smile when Hermione appeared. "Hey, little sister… need something?" He asked, reaching out a hand to her. She joined him then, settling in his arms and letting out a soft sigh. She didn't say anything at first, just taking comfort of her brother's arms. While she knew what had to be done in the coming war, it didn't mean that she was completely prepared for it. it had been on her mind, Harry could tell. So, he just held her and stroked her hair.

Eventually, Hermione spoke. "Do you mind… me asking a few questions?" She looked up at Harry, knowing the man wouldn't mind. And he did nod, motioning for her to continue. Hermione took a deep breath then before she spoke once more. "You're nothing how I thought, Harry… I mean your past, that is. I know you… but you've also changed. I feel like… I don't completely know you. I trust you… you're my brother, but you've changed and I'm not sure what to think. I mean… it's definitely for the better, but it's confusing." She looked away and sighed again, feeling a little uncomfortable.

Hermione was quiet for a little while longer and Harry gave her the silence so she could order her thoughts. "When you first arrived… you were so tiny. Later, I assumed that it was because of the Dursleys and their supposed treatment of you. But now… I'm not so sure. Especially with the growth spurt you've gone through. And then there was the knowledge… you're obviously intelligent. Maybe you're not completely bookish like I am, but you definitely know your stuff and you have the mind to put clues together. Why hide that? And… if you haven't been to the Dursleys then does Dumbledore know? How doesn't he know? There were supposed to be blood wards…" Hermione suddenly trailed off, looking embarrassed when she realized that she had been rambling off questions.

Harry only looked amused before he leaned his head back to ponder Hermione's question. They were very good ones… "Well, let me answer those somewhat in order." He smiled. "The village I go to every summer is a magical community. They are aware of the outside world, but don't see much need to join in. And I was with my relatives for the first year. With a combination of malnutrition for the short time and my genetics, I have been small most of my life." He shrugged his shoulders. "With help from puberty and a little bit of magic, I'm where I should be physically." He chuckled then before falling silent for a moment. "Now, let me tell you a little story. It should answer your questions. When I was two, my Aunt abandoned me in the park. It wasn't entirely on purpose, but she never came back looking for me. Like an magical child, I had a burst of accidental magic that took me somewhere safe. It was the village and there I was raised. Dumbledore never knew because the blood wards never took hold. Petunia never saw me as family, so the wards were useless. Then when I turned eleven, I was taken back to the Dursleys to keep up the guise. Part of it was because the Council doesn't trust Dumbledore, and part of it was because it was the best way to keep the knowledge of the village safe. However, every summer I have gone back to the village with Dumbledore's knowledge. He doesn't know where it is, but has been assured that it is safe. For all he knows, I am visiting a childhood friend. Although, I will admit that he thinks I spend time at the Dursleys for the sake of the blood wards, but that isn't true."

Harry sighed and seemed to gather his thoughts again. "As for my intelligence… well, I suppose it was because I wanted to go below the radar as best as I could. I mean… it's impossible because of the whole Boy-who-Lived thing, but I didn't want to give the Wizarding world another thing to latch onto. I was already the boy-who-lived, I didn't want to become known as the genius boy-who-lived, or something." He shook his head in amusement. "Not that I'm a genius…I'm just making a point." He chuckled before shrugging his shoulders. "It was also a little strategic." He pulled off his glasses then and set them aside. He didn't actually need them. "If my enemy thinks that I am weaker than I really am, isn't that to my advantage?" His dark green eyes sparkled in the light.

Harry suddenly sighed and looked away. "But that's all about to change… things are going to come to a head and war will explode out into the open. I know you have realized this, Mione," He told his sister softly before gesturing towards the desk in front of him. "What I can't decide… is whether we should leave before it all comes to a head, or stay behind and wait for the battle to come to us." He frowned slightly. "But either way… we need to find a way to protect Hogwarts. There are too many children here… and they will be lost if the war comes here." He then gently pushed Hermione off his lap and stood up. "I want you and Theo to start doing some research into spells and warding. I want to be able to ward Hogwarts so that it can be a safe haven for the children and whoever else needs sanctuary." He ordered, but his voice was soft. In response, Hermione nodded her head and then soon left. She presumably went to go find Theo to recruit his help.

Going over to the window in the room, Harry looked out over the ground before running his fingers through his hair. He figured it was about time that he contacted Remus. He had been putting it off, but now he knew that he couldn't put it off any longer. Besides, he had a plan of sending the man to his village. He was sure the man wouldn't like it, wanting to be able to stay on the war front, but Harry was not going to allow it. At least, he would stay firm until at least Remus was healthy. The man's wolf was taking too much of a toll on the man's body right now. And the wolves in the village would be able to help him… Harry smiled at the thought of the wolves in the village. Each one of them were strong and not at all like werewolves from stories. This was because they had accepted the wolf and now it was ingrained in them. Instead of being two separate entities, they were the wolves and the wolves were them. With this, the whole village was ruled with a pack mentality.

Going over to the desk, Harry pulled two scraps of parchment towards himself and then sat down. He then wrote out two letters, both of them long and detailed. Eventually, Harry stood up and rolled them up before using hot wax to seal them. Leaving the Room then, he made his way up to the owlery. There, he tied both parchment to Hedwig's leg. "Go, darling… you know where to take them." He smiled. "Remus and then home." Harry watched her fly off before he turned and left

((Page Break))

A pair of students suddenly yelped and jumped out of the way as someone ran past. Exchanging disbelieving glances, they quickly turned to see Draco Malfoy running down the corridor and then turning around a corner abruptly. Shaking it off, the two students hurried on to their next class.

Down further, Draco suddenly burst into the Room of Requirement and then slammed the door behind him. Out of breath, as he had ran all the way from the dungeon, he thrust a letter into Harry's face. The older young man took the letter with a raised eyebrow before looking down at it. As he read, his eyes narrowed and his brow drew together. Standing abruptly, he quickly pulled out a pendant that had been resting beneath his shirt. He gripped it and then pressed two fingers against the spot next to his ear. "Everyone come to the Room of Requirement immediately." He ordered clearly before releasing the pendant and tucking it beneath his shirt once more. Theo and Hermione had stumbled across a spell during their research and had created the pendants. They were invisible to all but the members who wore them and they were useful methods of communication when they weren't wearing their masks.

Harry led Draco over to a seat and had him sit down as they waited for the others. When they appeared, he quickly gestured towards a large wardrobe that had appeared. "I want everyone to dress. I will debrief you as you change." He said quickly before going to grab his own change of uniform. As he started to undress, he began speaking. "Draco just came to me with a letter from his parents. The Dark Lord is on the move." He clenched his jaw for a moment, pulling his tunic over his head. "The man found out that Draco has no intention of following orders and that the elder Malfoys are planning on defecting. Thankfully Sirius was able to warn them, but things are starting to move into motion. We're going to be leaving immediately to escort Draco's parents to what will become our home base. I'm sorry, but we will not be returning to Hogwarts."

Harry's words echoed in the room, but no one protested. Instead, each and every single one of them steeled themselves for the coming battle. Harry's only comfort was that he had been training them and preparing them as best as he could. Later, he would send a house elf back for their things, but they had other things to worry about. Once everyone was dressed, Harry pulled his mask over his face. With it in place, he gathered himself up. "This is our first real battle, my companions." He spoke softly, but his voice carried to every single one who was listening. "I cannot pretend that everything will go our way… but I can promise you that each one of you will make me proud. I have never been happier than to have known such superior wizards and witches. So let's show them just who we are." He smiled behind his mask before suddenly growing serious.

"With me, I want Hannah, Micah, Michael, Luna, and Adriana. Captains Draco and Theo are with me as well. The rest of you, I want to go to the designated meeting point to prepare for us. Stay on call for back up, if need be." He took a deep breath, looking over the determined figures in front of him. He then motioned to the pendant wrapped around his neck. "Captains Hermione and Theo have added wards to Hogwarts, but with this you will be able to slip through. It will act as your own personal portkey and is activated by a specific password that is unique to you. Tap it with your wand three times and then speak the password you want to use to set it. Then to use it, simply wrap your hand around it, say your destination, and then the password." He waited as everyone set their passwords before continuing on. "Those with me, our destination is Malfoy Manor. We should land just outside the wards." He looked towards them before looking over to the others. "Your destination is Wolf's Hollow." He said. At least, that was the code for the village. Going over to the desk in the corner of the room, Harry picked up a letter and then took it to Hermione. He whispered instructions into her ear before turning to everyone else. "Let's head out."

Within a few moments, no one was left in the Room.

((Page Break))

The group that was with Hermione reappeared just on the outskirts of the village. All of them were crouched down onto one knee. Once everyone arrived, Hermione stood and everyone followed their lead. Heading towards the gates of the village, they were stopped by two guards. Immediately, Hermione pulled out the letter that Harry had given to her. "I need to see Cathal." She spoke quickly. "It's an urgent matter. Harry sent me." None of them had removed their masks, but the guards nodded their heads and one man left his post to lead the way.

"I'll show you." He spoke gruffly, stepping quickly. He wove through the streets, eventually stopping at a hut. He knocked on the door before opening it up and letting Hermione inside. She was the only one that went in and the others stood motionless nearby, waiting for further orders. Each one of them were nervous, but they kept quiet and observed their surroundings. They knew this wasn't a game so they wanted to act professionally.

Inside, Hermione stepped up to the desk at the far end of the room. "Cathal?" She inquired, bowing her head respectfully. "Harry wanted me to give you this." She said, handing over the letter and then stepping back. She was careful not to meet the man's eyes, just as she had been instructed. She stayed quiet then as the man read the letter before standing up and burning the parchment. "Follow me. I will show you where you can set up." He spoke shortly, heading towards the door and motioning for Hermione to follow him.

Cathal led the way to another part of the village. Here, the area was fenced off, though still within the villages own fences. There were several stones houses and they looked to have been newly built, or at least newer than the other houses. "These have been provided for you. More can be built over time if need be, but this will do for now." Cathal spoke, a heavy accent in his voice. Looking over the assembled wizards, he then smiled briefly. "I will send some healers to you to help just in case things go sour with Harry." He said before turning around and leaving.

Hermione took a deep breath before looking over to Pansy and Blaise. "Alright, Pansy, I want you to set up medical in that hut right there." She pointed before assigning a few of the others to help her. They immediately went off and Pansy started shooting off orders. Hermione smiled briefly before turning to the others and glancing at Blaise. "I want you to help me set up a war tactics post in that hut right there." She gestured before turning to the others. "Go inspect the other huts. We'll set up sleeping arrangements later, but prepare them for now. Keep an ear out for any calls for back up." She ordered before the rest of the team went out. Hermione let out a breath before looking over to Blaise. "Let's see what we have to work with and start getting things set up. We'll be here until further notice from what I can tell… or at least it will be a base of operations." It would keep their minds off of what the others were doing. Hermione could understand the need for a small group, but it still made her nervous.

((Page Break))

((*Malfoy Manor*))

Harry and the others were perched silently in the trees that lined the manor before them. Harry then glanced over to Draco and whispered to him. "You can still access the wards, yes?" He asked softly and the other young man nodded his head. Pleased, Harry looked over to the manor again. "I want you to slip in and find out how many wizards are in the building. You can sense the magical signatures through the wards, yes?"

Draco nodded his head and focused on the magic that surrounded what used to be his home. Several tense minutes later, he pulled back and breathed out a sigh. "There's a handful." He spoke quietly. "Maybe six or seven." He shook his head then. "There's a low chance that the Dark Lord is in there. From what I've been told, and what Sirius has probably mentioned, the man has taken to travelling with several Death Eaters. From what I can tell, there are too few wizards for the Dark Lord to be there."

Harry nodded his head. "Alright, good. It will give us better chances at least." He frowned briefly before looking over to the others that had come with them. "Theo, I want you to take Hannah, Micah, and Luna with you. Go around to the back and sneak in through there. Michael and Adriana, you are with Draco and me." Harry ordered. "Keep in touch, all of you. Try to avoid all confrontation. When you find Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, immediately take them to base. Keep in contact at all time." Harry waited for the murmurs of agreement before sending them off.

When everyone was in position then, Harry gave the signal and they all immediately cast notice-me-not charms and made a dash for the manor. Harry glanced in a window before giving a signal to the others, saying that there was no one inside. He then eased the window open carefully before listening. When there was no movement, he made his way in before covering the others as they slipped inside. "Stay together." Harry murmured before carefully gliding across the floor. Once at the door, he cautiously scouted the corridor before motioning to the others. They all then carefully took off down the hallway.

As both groups made their way through the manor, they would occasionally check in on each other. So far, none of them had come across anything. When they made their way to the second floor, Harry suddenly motioned for each of them to hide. Barely out of sight in time for someone to walk by, Harry held his breath until the person was gone. Once he was sure that they had an all clear, Harry then motioned for them to continue to move. But things were going just a little too smoothly and it didn't surprise Harry when they were suddenly discovered.

"Hey! Stop right there!" A voice called out and a spell whizzed just past Harry's ear. Feeling the burn of the brush with the charm, Harry immediately turned and drew his wand. "Go on and keep moving!" He whispered quickly, sending a spell in the man's direction to stall him. "Once you've made the objective, get out of here!" Harry ordered, throwing another spell at the other man. "Hurry!" He continued to trade spells with the Death Eater as his companions hurried off as ordered. This left Harry to deal with the older wizard.

A deep cut in his side later, Harry was stumbling away from the duel as the victor. His opponent was crumpled on the ground, but Harry didn't stop to check to see if he was still breathing. Instead, he cast a spell for a temporary bandage around his midsection and then took off in the direction that the others had gone. He came upon Theo's group trading curses with two Death Eaters. Cursing, Harry took out a Death Eater that had been trying to sneak up on them. With the distraction, the other two Death Eaters were taken care of quickly. It was then that they got the call that Draco had gotten his parents to safety. Harry immediately ordered the retreat before any enemy reinforcements came. All of them grabbed onto their pendants and they were soon whisked away, just in time to miss the arrival of a much larger enemy party.

((Page Break))

((Wolf's Hollow))

As soon as Harry and Theo's group reappeared, Harry pitched forward with a groan. He barely caught himself before resting there for a moment. Pushing himself up then, he placed a hand over his torso before staggering towards the grouping of huts. Pansy was looking over the groups, healing a few minor injuries. Draco was off with his parents, speaking quietly. Cathal approached them a few moments later, but Harry didn't stop to pay attention to the conversation. He was pretty sure he knew what it was about anyways. Instead, he made his way over to where Pansy was. "Hey… a little help?" He grimaced slightly before pressing his hand tighter against his side. The bandage had helped somewhat, but it was quickly becoming soaked through and Harry was starting to feel lightheaded. So, he was thankful when Pansy suddenly rushed to his side and conjured up a stretcher. Immediately falling into character, she started ordering a few of the others around. Harry was brought into the small hut that was going to serve as the medical building for now. There was a few cots and a large table that was mostly empty for the moment. There were shelves as well, but they were empty. Harry was sure that potions and other medicines would cover it soon enough.

But he was distracted from that when his vision wavered. Groaning, he closed his eyes and Pansy cursed. "Damn, Harry… what the hell did you do?" She tutted before starting to pull away the bandage that was wrapped around Harry's torso. She then quickly inspected the wound before cleaning it up of any debris and then applying pressure to get it to stop bleeding. When the bleeding finally stopped, Pansy sewed it up with a quick spell. She covered the area in some poultice and then wrapped a fresh bandage around it. Pulling back then, she cleaned up the area. "No sudden movements!" She said sternly. "I'll get someone to help you get to a cabin so you can sleep. And I do expect you to sleep." She said sternly before leaving to go help Micah, who was a bit cut up. Harry merely sighed and laid there, knowing better than to go against Pansy when she was like that.


	7. Not an Update, but important!

My darling readers,

I'm sorry that this is not an actual update for you. I am writing this note to warn you that Blood Moon is going to be going on hiatus. I promise I will not be abandoning it, but my muse has gone very much quiet. Also, I have been going over my previous chapters and they are not what I would like them to be. So, Blood Moon will be going on a long break as I fix it up. I apologize for those who enjoy the story, but I promise that it will be continued sometime in the future if you are still willing to read it. When Blood Moon reappears, I will replace all of the chapters with improved ones and I will be adding on a new chapter. So, please remain patient and wait for Blood Moon to be new and improved!

Oh, and as a side note: I have a few other plot bunnies running around my head. I will most likely be posting a few new stories, but I promise that Blood Moon will not be abandoned!

Signed,

SidheWitch


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